Destiny of Infinity, Digimon Adventure 03
by Theo 'Blitz' Leung
Summary: Five new kids have been selected to be the next generation of Digi-Destined. Together, they will face, life, love, and loss. (Complete)
1. Episode 01-Opening the New Gate

Opening the New Gate ****

Opening the New Gate

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[TheoLeung@Sprint.ca][1]

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Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

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Author's Note: Before you begin to read, I'd like to point out the fact that apparently, at the end of 02, each Human is supposed to gain a Digimon companion. I don't know if this is true, but if it is, this series will completely disregard it. So much for keeping with the official series. Heh.

They are the chosen. Chosen from a group of young ones. Chosen based on their traits and characteristics.

It is unknown who chose these children. Children of light, children of destiny. When the time comes, they will be called upon to save those who selected them.

Welcome to the Digital World, Digi-Destined.

* * * * * *

Tao yawned out loud, though not loud enough for the English teacher to hear him. Her back was turned to the students, writing something down on the blackboard as her lectured continued on and on.

"This is SO boring…" Tao thought, laying his head down on the table. Quickly, the young boy checked his watch, noticing there was only 5 minutes left in the period. He let out a soft cheer, but remembered on detail. "School time is slow regular time by four minutes," he groaned, flattening his face against the table.

"Only nine more minutes to go, Tao," the other boy whispered. Tao rotated his head to face his right, seeing Marc whispering to him that statement. He grinned, sitting back up straight so not to get caught by the teacher. Still, it was a nice thought.

"Only nine minutes of school left…" Tao whispered, smiling a bit. He also sat up right, running a hand through his black hair, which got messed up during his 'flattening'. With a quick rub, it was back to its regular flat state instead of sticking up everywhere. The thought of only nine, no, make that eight minutes left in class kept the student happy.

* * * * * *

"It's cold…" Tao chattered, pulling his winter jacket closer to his body. Of course it was cold, it was mid December, and in Canada, that generally means frostbite.

"Better to get average weather conditions then freaked out ones," Marc spoke, covering his blond hair with a small hat, somehow just big enough to fit over his ears.

"Well…I have to agree with you there…" Tao replied, remembering what happened eight years ago, about this time in the year, when somehow, the weather conditions changed. It was searing hot in the middle of December, enough to melt what little snow that fell a night back in a matter of mere hours. "That year was the craziest," Tao spoke out, tightening the straps of his backpack to make sure it was secure.

The two were a strange pair. Being as it may, one being of Chinese background while the other an American one. Even more so, was the fact Marc towered over Tao by at least a good five inches. The only plausible cause for these two to be friends is their distinct interest in mythical monsters.

"You coming over today?" Tao asked his taller companion, quickly stepping into the bus and depositing his money for the bus fare. Marc followed him in, paying as well.

"Sorry…I got a History project to finish for Monday…" Marc replied, holding onto one of the poles as the bus pushed off from the curb.

"Oh…" Tao spoke, disappointedly. He was looking forward for a positive reply. "Well, it's the weekend at least," Tao consolidated. "Two days of relaxation," he continued, smiling a bit. "School can be SOOOOOO boring…" Tao told Marc, for possibly the fiftieth this week. Tao had a tendency to repeat himself over and over again. Sort of insecurity so to say, believing no one will ever hear him the first time around.

"You still got homework you know," Marc told his comrade.

"Sure, BURST my bubble why don't you!" Tao protested, causing a short laugh from his taller friend.

"You've got time, just relax my friend," Marc told him, glancing out the window. The bus was stopped at an intersection, waiting for passengers to embark or disembark. "Hey, Tao, look familiar?" Marc asked, referring to the scene outside.

"Still haven't fixed it yet?" Tao asked, noticing the large crevices in the ground. Also eight years ago, there was an earthquake in this area, somehow emitting at this intersection. Very few people witnessed the event, but two noticed something creeping out of the earth in this area. "Good thing no one was in this building when it collapsed," Tao spoke, rubble still not cleaned up from that mess eight years. Despite the fact a 50-floor tower was toppled due to that occurrence, no one inside or around the building was seriously injured. Even to do this day, police and construction crews taped the area up.

"Maybe they're afraid that monster will show up again," Marc replied, lowering his voice.

"That thing with a drill on its nose?" Tao questioned, though it was possibly the ONLY monster they saw in real life. "…maybe we just imagined it that night…it was late…"

"Oh? I wouldn't be so sure, if it toppled that tower…" Marc replied cautiously, the bus starting to move from the intersection. The light turned green as the public transit continued on their schedule routine.

"No use worrying about it…not like it is going to happen again," Tao told his friend, slouching down against the pole. "My stop is next…I guess I'll be seeing you later Marc."

* * * * * *

Tao yawned lightly, stretching his arms out. "Stupid Law test…" he complained, eyes getting a bit blurry after reading four chapters of his textbook. "If those tests weren't so tough, I wouldn't need to study for them…" he muttered, laying his head down on the table. "It's only 5:00 P.M. on a Friday afternoon, and you're already studying like a workaholic," Tao told himself, saddened by such a fact. "How the hell does Gregory do so well on them…" he complained, leaning back against his chair.

His eyes quickly caught sight of a blinking icon on my computer screen. Wheeling over to the computer table on my chair, he double clicked on the icon, an ICQ message sent from a friend in New York.

"You're on early," he said, in bold black letters. Tao grinned a bit, seeing he was as intuitive as usual.

"Had nothing better to do. Wassup Nobie?" he typed as a reply, clicking the send button. The student glanced back at his Law textbook for a second, then knew he still had two days to work on it. An hour online won't hurt his studying.

"I'm working on a fic. Not sure if I'm clear enough on this section…" Nobie answered. Tao smiled, also noting how Nobie was always checking back with his stuff.

"Knowing you, it'll be fine," Tao typed quickly. "Of course, I wish I could write fics. The stuff I write is pretty dull…and I have to study for a Law test. *Sigh*" Tao sent the message, though seeing it fit to check his e-mail as well while he waited for a reply.

"Hey, what's this?" he asked, getting an unknown e-mail. There was a file attached to it as well. Of course, when the file automatically opened its self and installed into his hard drive, Tao got really freaked out.

"Law test?" Nobie replied, though Tao's thought weren't on the Internet chat program anymore.

"BRB Nobie…something came up…" Tao quickly sent, closing ICQ as well. It didn't take long for the self-extracting file to finish installing, placing a new shortcut onto Tao's desktop.

"Digital World…?" Tao asked. As if on cue, and as expected, the program opened by its self, opening a small map onto his screen on the left side. On the right side was a picture of rolling fields, a blue sky, and rising sun. Both map and screen were encased in a thick white border as part of their program. "What the heck?" he spoke, getting a better look at the new program. If it was a virus, it sure wasn't convincing enough to be one. For some reason, the teen pressed his hand against the picture, unsure of the purpose of such an action.

Tao disappeared in blinding flash, leaving behind an empty room with an active computer.

* * * * * *

"Wha? Where am I?" Tao exclaimed, unsure of the events that transpired moments ago. He remember first being in his own room, then, somehow, traveling through a 'tunnel' of sorts. Not an average tunnel, more of a tunnel of information. Somehow, with those brief moments, he ended up here.

The wind blew lightly through his black hair. The blades of grass leaned with the wind. The land was mostly flat, aside for some hills here and there. The sky was bright 

blue, despite how the sun was only beginning to rise. Then it struck him.

"This is what I saw on my computer!" Tao exclaimed. He wasn't sure how, but somehow, he is now living what that program he got recreated. "But, how is that possible?" he asked, brushing his red vest.

"Red vest?" he spoke out, surprised. He wasn't wearing that before, especially with a white T-shirt underneath. Though the blue jeans looked familiar, he was pretty sure they weren't his either. "Well, no use complaining about it," he told himself, noting that the clothing seemed lighter, despite how much heavier they looked in comparison to his previous attire.

"Now…to figure out what the heck this place is," Tao thought, glancing left and right. After a short deliberation, he decided forward, hoping it may take him somewhere.

* * * * * *

"Well…I'm here…where ever here is…" Tao told himself softly. His travels took him into a forest. Whether entering the forest was a good idea or not was still a mystery to Tao.

After a fifteen minute walk through the forest, it felt like there was no end to the environment. The small foliage that initially started the area eventually grew into the large area known as the sea of trees. There didn't seem to be an end to the forest, and it began to worry Tao if he could ever get out.

A large roar echoed across the forested land, freezing Tao in his tracks. The ground vibrated softly. Thumps of large footsteps could be heard in the distance. Another roared ensued, followed by the distinct sound of cracking trees. The student remained still, unsure if advancing was a brilliant idea.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" the voice screamed out, trailing through the air. Quickly, Tao stared upwards, only to be forcefully knocked onto the ground. "Oh…thank you for breaking my fall," whatever was screaming told Tao. The high school student opened his eyes, noticing a pink bird lying on him, with large blue eyes and a feather rising from her head.

"What?! What the heck?!" Tao yelled out, scaring the bird off his chest.

"What, you haven't seen a Digimon before?" the pink bird asked. "Then again, I haven't really seen any other humans for a while. Are you new here?" she asked casually.

"I…I guess you could say that…" Tao stammered. Having a pink bird fall out of the sky and begin to talk to him wasn't the first thought that came to his mind while exploring this place.

"Well, welcome to the Digital World," she told him. "I'm sorry for falling onto you like that. A Tyramon attacked me a while back, and with a little too much force, knocked me very far away. You may have heard him roaring somewhere farther in the forest." However she can act so casual was a question that kept recurring in Tao's mind. "Oh, by the way, my name is Biyomon."

"Um…nice to meet you Biyomon. I'm Tao," he responded. Noticing he was still lying on the ground, the teen decided to stand back up, wiping some of the mud off his back. "Digital World?" he asked, now a bit more curious.

"Yes, Digital World. Of course the others just call it the Digi-World, but I think we should leave this location before Tyramon decides to attack again," Biyomon suggested, flapping her wings to make sure they were still in working order. With a quick test, she rose into the air, flying away. With no where else to go, Tao saw it fit to follow.

"Better to follow someone who knows what is going on…" Tao concluded. "Biyomon seems nice. I don't think she means any harm at all." With those final thoughts, he sprinted to catch up with the pink bird.

* * * * * *

"So, let me get this straight…" Tao spoke, once the two slowed down to a walking pace. "This is a world inside a digital realm, which mimics my world in many senses. This world houses many monsters known as Digimon," Tao concluded, generalizing what the Digimon he encountered told him. The two left the premise of the forest, and hopefully, away from the Digimon known as Tyramon.

"Yep, that's right," Biyomon confirmed, somehow extremely happy even after meeting the side end of Tyramon's tail. "Of course the last time I saw a human was 3 years ago."

"What do you mean, 'last time'," Tao questioned, surprised that there have been visits prior to his own.

"The Digi-Portals have been closed for the last four years, but if you're here now, I might be able to see Sora again…" Biyomon answered, though her tone became weaker upon saying the name 'Sora'.

"But…if these 'Portals' were sealed for the last four years, why would they open now?" Tao asked. It didn't make sense for these portals to just open again. Even if Tao only understood this Digital World for about 4 minutes, he still had a feeling these gates wouldn't open without proper reason.

"Do you have a Digivice?" Biyomon asked, stopping. Tao, unsure of what the Digimon was asking him, only shrugged.

The roar the echoed across the plains scared both of them, forcing each to cover their ears with their hands/wings. Both Digimon and Human turned around to see what could cause such a roar, but it was quite obvious.

"It's Tyramon!!" Biyomon shouted, identifying the large dinosaur like Digimon lumbering towards them. The pink bird quickly took to the air, ready to confront the significantly larger Digimon.

"SPIRAL TWISTER!" she shouted, launching literally a spiral of green energy towards her foe. However, the attack did little more then scratch the brown dinosaur Digimon.

"This isn't working!!" Tao shouted, also noticing the ineffectiveness of Biyomon's attack. The student glanced around quickly, finally setting sights of a cave inside a nearby cliff side. "Biyomon, come on!" he yelled, make a break for the cave. After unleashing one more Spiral Twister to stall Tyramon, Biyomon followed.

"Tao, look out!!" Biyomon exclaimed. The student quickly glanced backwards, seeing the massive tail of the dinosaur fly right towards him.

"WAH!!" the teen screamed, diving into the cave entrance. The tail slammed against the side of the cliff, shaking the interior. Tyramon roared out again, frustrated his prey eluded the attack. Biyomon quickly flew into the cave as well when Tyramon's tail was not blocking her path anymore.

"Well…that will keep us safe for a bit…" Tao muttered, noticing how brightly lit the interior was, despite how little sunlight actually entered the cave. The pair slowly walked towards the interior, unsure of what to expect. Eventually, the two reached a large room, possibly big enough to hold Tyramon if he could get in. At the center of the domed cave, was a rock pedestal. A glittering on the pedestal caught the attention of both.

"What's that?" Biyomon asked, approaching the pedestal. Tao followed her, curious himself. On top of the pedestal sat a strange device, lying there, as if beckoning someone to take it.

Tao took the device from the pedestal. The item bottom half, despite being blunt and large, was easy to grip and snuggly lay in his closed hand. A blue border wrapped around the sides and bottom of this end. The upper half was much thinner then it's bottom counterpart, although wider as well. This half housed a display, possibly to show information. What information it may be baffled the holder.

"It looks like a Digivice," Biyomon commented. "Though I haven't seen one like that before."

"So, this is a Digivice then?" Tao questioned, examining the item. He didn't have much time to look, as the cave started to rumble. Small rocks began to crumble from the ceiling, become all too apparent of one thing: cave in. Without further encouragement, both ran back towards the entrance.

"You know, we will run back into Tyramon!" Biyomon shouted above the growl of splitting earth.

"Better to stand a chance then no chance at all!!" Tao responded, using his hands as a shield to protect his head from increasing larger boulders. He clipped the Digivice to the side of his jeans' pocket to protect it from any boulder large enough to smash it to pieces.

Within seconds, the two left the 'safety' of the cave, seeing Tyramon bashing his tail against the cliff side. If anything, evidence suggested that continuos smashing against the cliff side caused the cave to collapse.

Tyramon let out a roar of triumph, seeing his prey leaving their so-called sanctum. Again, Biyomon took to the sky, with no where to run, the only option was to fight. Tyramon seemed weakened though, expending some of his energy at collapsing the interior.

"SPIRAL TWISTER!" Biyomon shouted again, unleashing the emerald wind power. This time, it was quite apparent it hurt. The dinosaur winced in pain, stepping back a bit. Now angered, and with precision accuracy, his tail hit square home against Biyomon, slamming her into the cliff side, leaving her imprint on it.

"Biyomon!!" Tao shouted, just hearing the rock cracking made him wince. He caught the bird as she fell. Tyramon again roared in triumph, ready to finish the job.

"RUSHING WIND!" The voice came form no where, as did the attack. The only thing Tao saw was a small globe of energy surge directly towards Tyramon's feet. The ball of power opened up, expanding outwards in such speed that it knocked the Digimon over.

The source of the attack was another Digimon, who flew across the sky, circling the dinosaur as if it was the bird's prey. Tyramon, quickly recovered, trying to whack the other Digimon with his tail.

"GALE WING!" was what the bird yelled next, starting a dive bomb right towards Tyramon. His speed made it impossible to see what was coming, all you knew was he blasted past Tyramon. The only clue that happened was when the dinosaur roared in pain again. Unable to bear it anymore, Tyramon ran away, badly beaten. Sure that his job was down, the white bird descended towards Tao and Biyomon.

"Are you okay?" he asked, landing. On closer inspection, Tao noticed this Digimon was an eagle, a white eagle. There was a crimson band around his left talon.

"I'm okay…but I'm not sure about Biyomon here…" Tao whispered, glancing 

down at the Digimon he held tightly in his arms.

"Harriermon…is this who you were waiting for?" Biyomon asked weakly, coughing. The eagle stared at Biyomon for a second, then nodded. "I'll be alright…just need a little rest."

"Tao…I presume," Harriermon asked. "My name is Harriermon. I guess we will be working together for a while."

"Working together?" Tao asked, dubious of what the eagle just implied.

"Of course. You are a Digi-Destined. You hold a Digivice. I waited for this moment for a long time," Harriermon answered.

There wasn't anymore time for questions. Tao's Digivice began to beep uncontrollably, the screen lighting up brightly. Tao glanced down at his Digivice, unsure of what was happening. Again, in a blinding flash, he disappeared as quickly as he came into the Digital World, leaving both Harriermon and Biyomon alone.

* * * * * *

"Am…am I back home?" Tao asked, quickly identifying his surroundings. "Yeah…I'm back home…" he told himself, lying on his bed. "Was it a dream?" he thought, removing the Digivice from his pocket. "How long was I in there?" he asked next, checking the time. The clock said 6:00 P.M. "Only an hour? Wait a minute this isn't my watch…" The watch was clearly of foreign origin, but somehow, the student knew it was related one way or the other to the Digital World. It was only a matter of time before he returned to that realm…

Fin

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Completed: 11/01/00

   [1]: mailto:TheoLeung@Sprint.ca



	2. Episode 02-Pacific Coast Sunder

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Pacific Coast Sunder

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[TheoLeung@sprint.ca][1]

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Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

She sat on the wet grass, knees pulled up to her chest. Her reddish-brown hair blew in what little wind the day provided. The teenage girl sat alone, admiring the view, watching others mingle and chat, but not her. All she could do was watch. She was unwanted, and alone.

"Well…at least it is Friday…" she murmured. School would be over soon for the weekend, and for Shastina, it was a welcomed relief in more ways then one. School was a living hell for her. Nothing ever happened right. Well, almost nothing ever happened right. There were still perks to life.

"Miss Lawson, you have two minutes to report to Choir class," the voice spoke behind her, giggling. Shastina grinned, turning around.

"Then we better get going Angel," she responded, standing up. Brushing the grass that stuck to her pants off, and retrieving her bag, the two headed towards class.

* * * * * *

The walk home was lonely. Shastina began a slow paced trek back towards her house, hoping not to get home anytime soon. The only thing she truly looked forward to when getting home was getting on-line. Where she can drop this shell of protection the encased her. Something that came naturally to her, as much as she feared it.

"What happened to you, Shas?" she whispered, clutching her hand. "What is it that he always says…'Life sucks and then you die'?" she whispered, stopping at a crosswalk. Cars whizzed past while she waited patiently for the crosswalk signal to change. "Maybe I should just step out now…" she thought, placing her foot onto road, though her heel still touched the curb. "No…I can't…I'd be betraying him…" she whispered. As if holy judgement called, the light changed. Shastina sighed, walking across the street.

* * * * * *

Shas quickly locked the door behind her when she entered her dwelling. Again, she was home alone, being her father wasn't home for the week.

"At least it's quite…" she whispered, heading upstairs. The high school student tossed her school bag onto her bed, removing a small floppy disk from it first. "English homework is a pain," she complained, inserting the floppy disk into her computer. With a few lazy clicks, she opened the file containing her English homework. She copied the file over to her hard drive, but during the transfer, there was a small file on that disk that she didn't notice before.

"What's this?" she thought. Four seconds after gazing at the file, it opened by itself. Shastina nearly fell off her chair, startled when the program also instantly opened. Two new windows opened on the screen, both with thick white borders. On the left window was a map of unknown origin, while on the right was a scene. There was a lake, surrounded by a ring of trees. The sun was up high, water vapours glistening off the sunlight.

"It's…beautiful…" Shastina whispered, never before seeing a sigh so spectacular. "If only I was there…" she continued, her voice falling flat at the fact it was all just a myth.

If anyone was outside, they could've sworn they saw a bright flash emit from the window of this house. Of course, no one noticed, as Shastina disappeared in a blink of an eye.

* * * * * *

"Oooow…what happened?" Shastina whimpered, cussing at whatever. All she could recall was traveling at light speeds through some corridor of… "Data?" she spoke out loud, unsure if that was really true or not.

The next sight she saw left her speechless, even if there was no one to talk to right now.

"Is…is this for real?" she stammered, unable to believe she was sitting at the edge of the lake: the lake she was admiring before she 'traveled'. "Or am I dreaming this?" she thought, standing up. Slowly, she approached the lake, staring down at her own reflection.

"What's this?" she wondered, noticing her clothing was completely different. Her emerald eyes told her she was wearing a crimson shirt with blue overalls. "Well, at least it is more comfortable then before," she told herself, standing back up. Again, she admired the view of the lake, sighing happily.

"You know…this place looks very familiar…" she continued to ponder, trying to remember why. Then it struck her. "This is like the place where I saw that serpent in the water…" she reminded herself. "That unnaturally big sea serpent for that matter…" she muttered, shuddering at the thought. She remember that day, being scared out of her wits at first sight. Never has anyone seen such a sight, and never has such destruction been caused. Somehow…the serpent disappeared, without a trace, after the destruction it caused amongst the city.

"Of course everyone blamed it on a natural occurrence," Shastina told herself, not completely recalling which occurrence was it. "Was it an earthquake?" she thought, shaking it away. "No use thinking about it now," the California teen told herself. "It was eight years ago. It will definitely be hard to remember after that period of time." Shastina sighed, examining the rest of her surroundings.

"I wonder how I'm going to get back home now…" she wondered, biting her lip. "What if I'm stuck here?" Her mind began to panic and despair. "Wait…it would be nice to stay…away from everyone…" she mused, smiling a bit. "But then I'd have to forget about him…and I'm not sure if I can let that happen…" Shastina sighed, debating in her mind everything that has happened and may happen if she stayed here.

The water rippled, slightly at first, but just enough for Shastina to notice something was very wrong at the moment. It wasn't clear what the danger was, but she had a hunch she wouldn't like it.

Again, the surface of the water rippled, the silhouette of the lake's occupant becoming a bit clearer. The body was long, slithering around underwater like a snake. "Or…even a serpent…" Shastina murmured. "This better not be a recurring nightmare," she pleaded, withdrawing from the side of the lake.

Within seconds, the serenity of the scene was shattered. A massive sea serpent blasted out of the lake, spewing water everywhere. Shastina fell backwards, raising her arms to protect herself against the raining pelts of liquid. The long, slithering form of the crimson serpent loomed over the lone girl. The monster grinned as much of a grin as he could get, finding his next meal. The serpent dived down towards the teenager.

"LIGHTNING CLAW!!" was all Shastina heard next, previously closing her eyes in fear. Forcing a peak, she saw a white cat with floppy ears smashing a paw into the serpent. Both paws were covered over with yellow-striped gloves, and a golden ring was on the cat's tail. Shastina gazed in awe when that small cat back flipped onto the ground, landing beside her. What was scarier was the fact that the serpent fell to the blow, sinking back down into the lake.

"Quickly, he won't be stunned for long!" the cat advised, pulling on Shastina's arm. Silently agreeing, Shastina got to her feet, running with the white cat into the ring of forest that surrounded the lake.

* * * * * *

It was about five minutes of pure running until the cat that led Shastina away decided to stop. The teenage girl stopped beside the cat, nearly collapsing from the entire run. Her breathing was harsh as she tried regaining her breath.

"Are you okay?" the cat asked, standing on her two legs. Shastina finally noticed the cat was talking to her, and then freaked out. "I'll take that as a yes then," she replied sarcastically.

"You-you talked!" Shastina exclaimed. The small cat shrugged.

"First time to the Digi-World I see," the white cat commented. "My name is Gatomon, and I'm a Digimon."

"My name is Shastina…" the high school student answered, still a bit dubious of these events. "Digi-World…Digimon…what is going on?" she whispered, though Gatomon heard her.

"The Digital World is as it says, a Digital World," Gatomon explained. "This world is very similar to your world in many aspects, but also very different in others."

"I'm guessing the most obvious distinction is Digimon," Shastina spoke. "Um…Digital Monsters?" she questioned, unsure if that was right. Gatomon nodded.

"This world is inhabited by monster known as Digimon. That serpent you ran into back there was Seremon," Gatomon continued. "Of course how you entered our world is still a mystery."

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Shastina inquired, walking beside Gatomon as the small feline continued the trek down the forest.

"Digi-Portals just don't open without reason," she explained. "The portals have been closed for the last four years, and with that seal is the peace of the world. If portals are beginning to open again, then something must be wrong in the Digital World." Gatomon halted her walking, gazing into Shastina's eyes. "You have her look and caring," the Digimon spoke, continuing on.

"Pardon?" Shastina asked, confused about what Gatomon meant by those words. The feline Digimon ignored her, trekking deeper into the forest.

"Do you have a Digivice yet?" Gatomon inquired, though not turning her head to face Shastina.

"A Digi-what?" Shastina spoke out. The tone Gatomon spoke it gave the impression that, sooner or later, Shastina was going to get this 'Digivice'. "I wonder if that's good or bad…" Shastina thought.

"Where are you from?" Gatomon asked next. "You don't look like someone who lives in Japan."

"No, I live in California," Shastina responded, sullenly. "Of course I wish I could live somewhere else…"

"Why is that?" the feline asked, noticing the tone change. She stopped, curious now about what this schoolgirl meant. Shastina remained silent for a very long time. "If I offended you, I'm sorry," Gatomon spoke.

"No, no, it's okay," Shastina quickly told Gatomon. "I'm…I'm searching for someone…and I hope I can find him soon."

"Well, then you will find him," Gatomon commented plainly. Shastina gazed down at the feline, wondering how this Digimon can be so sure about that. "As long as you keep searching, eventually, you will find what you are looking for."

"H-how can you be so sure though?!" Shastina exclaimed. "I've searched and searched for the last three years, and nothing!"

"Shastina…" Gatomon started, uncertain on how to word her next sentences. "I-I searched for someone. My journey took me places far and wide, hoping to find her. But soon, I began to despair, believing I'd never find her, and eventually, I lost that purpose in life."

"But…even after I forgot, I still continued to search, unconsciously," Gatomon said, pausing for a second. It seemed like she was checking something under her gloves. "And soon, I found her."

"All I'm saying, is, as long as you have the will to keep searching, you will find who you are looking for." Gatomon sighed reminiscently, recalling those days and nights alone. "And I know someone right now who is looking for you."

"Huh? Who's that?" Shastina asked, mood changing from serious to curious. "Who would be searching for me?" she thought, doubtful anyone would.

"Hey, SHASTINA!!" the voice shouted, as a force toppled Shastina. "Wassup? Wassup? Wassup?" was all she could hear from the hyperactive voice that most likely came from what ever knocked her over.

"Um…hi…" Shastina finally said, opening her eyes to see another feline sitting on her chest. This cat had silver fur, with black stripes lining down her back. On her forehead, the strip pattern formed some kind of star.

"I'm Tigramon, and I've been waiting a long time for you, Shastina!" she exclaimed, bouncing around happily. Shastina side-eyed Gatomon.

"Yeah, she was looking for you," Gatomon responded. Shastina sat up straight, as Tigramon continued to jump around.

"Um…why would you be waiting for me?" Shastina asked the energetic feline. Tigramon stopped leaping up and down, and faced the teenage girl.

"Because we're partners!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down again.

"Tigramon, she doesn't have a Digivice yet," Gatomon told the other feline. Again, Tigramon stopped, and gazed into Gatomon's eyes.

"Well then, let's go find it!" Tigramon shouted, rushing back towards the lake at top speed.

"Hey, wait!!" Gatomon and Shastina both shouted at the same time. There was a quick exchange of glances between the two, before both realized they should go after her.

"Why do they have to be so immature…" Gatomon commented, sighing.

* * * * * *

"Hey, where's the serpent?!" Shastina asked, pretty much expecting another attack from it. Everything seemed peaceful.

"Maybe I punched a little harder then I thought," Gatomon commented, examining her left paw. "But hey, you aren't complaining, right?" Shastina nodded, finally noticing Tigramon digging a hole by the lakeside.

"Here, here!" Tigramon shouted out, momentarily pausing her digging frenzy to inform the other two. Shastina and Gatomon both ran forward, catching a glimpse of sunlight reflecting off something.

"Here it is!" Tigramon shouted victoriously as Shastina pulled out the small device from beneath the ground. Similar to Tao's Digivice in every aspect, except for one: the grip for the Digivice was white.

"Well, that's your Digivice then," Gatomon told Shastina.

"How can you be so sure? It could belong to someone else…" Shastina retorted, trying not believe this. It was all so unnatural to her.

"You're here, right?" Gatomon spoke. "Only the Digi-Destined can travel back and forth between the worlds."

"But I don't even know how to get home!!" Shastina cried out. She glanced at the Digivice, and pushed a small button at the bottom of it. The student yelped as suddenly, the bottom half of the Digivice opened up. The bottom half unfolded downwards as did the left and right unfold in their respective directions.

"What happened?!" Gatomon and Tigramon exclaimed, taken completely by surprise by Shastina's sudden cry. Shastina held the Digivice in her hands, noticing the keyboard that was made when the three pieces unfolded.

"Hey, maybe this is your Digital Terminal too…" Gatomon commented.

"Terminal?" Shastina asked, closing the Digivice.

"Yeah, it holds all your Crests, Digi-Eggs, and allows to send and receive E-mail," Gatomon informed Shastina.

"I see…" the student muttered, though not understanding the Crest of Digi-Egg aspect. Tigramon was somehow on her shoulder, cuddling up to get warm. "Such a strange contraption…hey, maybe Blitz would know something about it…" Shastina thought. "He's pretty good with mechanical things…" Shastina bit her lip lightly. "He is in Toronto though…" Shastina sighed, realizing this fact yet again. "This distance is killer…" she muttered sadly.

"You know…it's not safe to be here…" Gatomon whispered, nervously keeping an eye on the lake in front of them. Shastina, clipping the Digivice to the side of her pocket, and taking Tigramon in her arms, nodded in agreement. The small feline in Shastina's arms only slept peacefully, possibly tiring herself out with all the energy expended.

"Come on, let's go…" Shastina whispered, for two reasons: 1) not to wake Tigramon, 2) not to disturb Seremon is he's still down there. Shastina turned her back to the water.

The water exploded in the familiar sight as Seremon smashed through the surface. He let out a loud howl in triumph, being able to surprise his original prey.

"Look out!!" Gatomon shouted, jumping at the serpent Digimon. "LIGHTNING CLAW!!" she attacked, though the serpent blocked the attack with the end of his tail. Gatomon, surprised with the block, found herself smashed into ground as the serpent's tail with the feline still on it hit the dirt. Gatomon groaned in pain, pinned to the ground at the mercy of Seremon.

"HYDRO SPRAY!" Seremon shouted, readying for his finishing blow.

"SILVER FANG!" was the retaliation, Tigramon jumping from her position in Shastina's arms. The girl was so shocked by the battle that she didn't realize Tigramon was awake.

The small feline leaped into the air, diving down at the serpent's tail, bearing her fangs. In one swift movement, her teeth sank into Seremon's tail. The serpent hollered in pain, his attack shooting into the sky. Gatomon, quickly releasing herself from the clamp, jumped at serpent, unleashing another Lightning Claw attack.

Seremon, after the barrage of attacks that the two felines continued afterwards, surrendered, sinking back down into lake, never revealing himself again.

"See, see, see!" Tigramon exclaimed, jumping madly yet again. "I'm good, together, we can beat anything Shas!"

"Yeah…I guess so," Shastina replied, smiling a bit. She ticked the feline behind the ear, causing Tigramon to giggle wildly.

The moment was short lived however, as Shastina's Digivice began to beep madly. In a matter of seconds, Shastina wasn't standing there anymore.

* * * * * *

Before she knew it, the teenager known as Shastina was back in her room. She blinked once, then twice, trying to believe what just happened.

"Digital World?" she asked, glancing back at her computer. The program was still there, but it refused to open. "Come on, work…" Shastina pleaded, double clicking on the icon again to no avail.

"Well, at least I wasn't in the 'Digi-World' for long…" she whispered, checking the time on her watch. Of course it was surprising when she saw that this watch wasn't the one she had before. "What's this…?" she asked, noticing it was only 5:00 P.M. PCT. Fidgeting with the watch a bit, she also got the EST time period. "8:00 P.M.? Oh, that's EST…of course…" she spoke, pushing another button. "Huh? 1:00 P.M. DWT? What's that?"

"Man…I'm losing my mind here," Shastina thought, flopping onto her bed. She took the Digivice from her pocket, though her clothing reverted back to what she was wearing today. "Let's see…I wonder how this works…" Shastina thought, opening the Digivice again. Punching a few keys, which took a while to get used to since the keyboard was pretty small, she entered Blitz's E-mail address.

"Hey Blitz…" she started, yawning a bit. "Would he believe my story? About the Digi-World? Or will he think I'm just going crazy…" Shastina thought. She was still unsure herself about this entire journey, but if anyone could understand, she could trust Blitz in it.

Fin

****

Completed: 11/05/00

   [1]: mailto:TheoLeung@sprint.ca



	3. Episode 03-The Kingdoms are United

****

The Kingdoms are United

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[TheoLeung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

Saturday morning quickly rolled in at Pembrokeshire, Wales. For Tiberius Hartz, it was just another day of either relaxation or torturous homework. For today, it was the latter.

Tiberius groaned as he rolled out of bed, landing on the floor with a thud. It didn't take the 15 year old long to stand back up, rubbing his back in pain. He didn't swear, only headed towards the washroom to freshen up.

In about 30 minutes, that teenager was out of the washroom, his long, light brown hair soaked in water. Clumsily taking a band from the table, he tied part of his long hair back into a ponytail, while tying down some other strands into bangs. Satisfied, he took his glasses from his night table, wiping them first with a cloth, then putting it on.

His computer started with a blatantly annoying buzz as the processor working on activating the computer. However Tiberius wasn't fazed by the sound, with his long lasting relationship with this computer. In the meantime, Tiberius stretched his arms, still stiff in the morning state.

With one hand that whizzed back and forth on the keyboard, the teenager already had most of the programs he needed up. The buzzing of his Internet connection blared through the CPU, though it hardly fazed him. In half a minute, his computer connected with the net.

"Well, let's see," Tiberius whispered, rapidly clicking on some buttons. The Hotmail site quickly popped up in the browser window, and with mere thought, the teenager's fingers ran up and down the keyboard, entering his username and password. The modem worked diligently to load the page. Satisfied, Tiberius withdrew a rather large math textbook from his backpack, flipping to the page where the homework was.

"Man…homework is always an issue…" he muttered, removing his binder from the knapsack. Twirling a pencil in his hand, he began his homework, forgetting his to check his e-mail, though the page remained open.

"X squared plus Y squared equals nine…graph the equation…" Tiberius spoke out loud. He sighed, quickly taking a ruler from his pencil case and began his job at graphing. "A circle with the centre at the origin, and a radius of three…" he answered, getting a compass next from his pencil case.

If he had been paying attention to his computer, he might have noticed a small file extracting and installing onto his hard drive. Of course, he was too busy working away at his Math homework to notice…

* * * * * *

One o'clock quickly came as the sun rose high in the sky. Tiberius quietly re-entered his room, happy that he filled his stomach with some lunch.

"Doh…left my connection on…" he spoke, mentally slapping himself. Sitting down on the chair, he decided to finally check his e-mail. "Let's see…two new messages…" he whispered, checking the first one. "Things wrong with Chaos Entity," the e-mail subject read, referring to a FanFic Tiberius wrote sometime back.

"I think I'll save that e-mail for later…" he told himself, getting onto the next e-mail. The subject was definitely more friendly then the other one. The FanFic writer opened the e-mail.

_Hey G. Sup?_

Just writing a bit more, nothing new, nothing old. Just a bit more crappy stuff to add. Not sure why I bother to inform you. Oh well.

~Blitz

Tiberius smiled, noticing the small 20 KB Fan Fiction file attached to the e-mail. "You aren't bad at writing fics Blitz," Tiberius thought, saving the file onto his hard drive. "You just don't have faith in your writing."

"Of course I got to finish my Math homework before I can do anything else…"

Closing the window and disconnecting from the Internet, Tiberius attended back to his Math homework, still ignorant of the other new file just installed into his hard drive. The student flipped through the Math book, examining what else he had left to complete.

"Oh man…" Tiberius muttered, beginning to doubt he could finish his Math before dinner. "At least the only homework I got was Math…" he thought, reading the next question out loud. "Find the equation of the line tangent X minus five squared plus…"

* * * * * *

"Well, now that I finished THAT," Tiberius spoke, slamming his Math textbook closed. He gave a silent cheer as he stuffed that dreaded book of doom into his backpack. "And still one day free too," Tiberius told himself happily. He rolled his chair over to the computer.

"Huh, what's this?" he asked, noting the new icon on his desktop. "I'm pretty sure I didn't save Blitz's file onto the desktop…It's not even a .txt file, so it can't be Blitz's fic…" Tiberius activated a virus scan, but found nothing wrong with the file.

"Well, if not a vir…huh?" Tiberius asked in a surprised tone. The suspicious file opened on its own will, revealing two new windows. The left window revealed a map, which Tiberius thought looked really familiar. "Kind of looks like Earth…just…a bit mixed up…" he commented, before turning his attention to the other window. It was hard to identify the setting. Darkness still engulfed the land, but the small streaks of orange flare that whipped around indicated morning was coming.

"A forest of some sort?" Tiberius thought, trying to make out the scenery despite the blanket of darkness. He squinted his eyes and moved his face closer to the screen in an attempt to get a better view.

Tiberius was momentarily blinded as the screen suddenly went wild, shining white brightly.

* * * * * *

"Why did it just get dark all of a sudden?" Tiberius asked out loud, removing his arms from his face while trying to block out the previous bright light which mysteriously vanished. Slowly, the eyes of the teenager adapted to the dark, being able to see the partial silhouette of the trees that surrounded him.

"Man, this isn't cool, I can't see ANYTHING," Tiberius muttered, attempting to find a solution out of his predicament. "How did I even GET here in the first place?!" he shouted out next, frustrated.

"Wait…" he muttered, quickly quieting down. He glanced left and right as far as his sight can take him. "Was this…on the screen?" he asked, remembering what he saw on his computer. It was difficult to tell considering how hard it was to see at the current moment.

"Hello?" a voice cried out, scaring Tiberius. The teen quickly tried to identify the source of the voice, but with the blanket of the night around him, it was impossible.

"Who's there?" Tiberius shouted back, hoping to follow the direction of the voice back to the source its self.

"My name is Tentomon!" the voice spoke, coming from the darkness. "What's yours?"

"I'm Tiberius!" the teen shouted, still unsure where the voice was coming from. "Though some people call me Tibbs."

"Hold on for a second Tibbs," Tentomon shouted back. Tiberius wondered what whoever was out there doing at the moment.

He was answered by a large collection of banging of metals, as well as other items. Light suddenly glared into Tiberius' eyes, forcing him to protect the eyes again.

"Oh, sorry!" Tentomon apologised, the light dropping down to the teenager's feet. "Just follow the light, and you'll reach my home," the voice told him next. The circle of light slowly receded, giving the teenager a way towards Tentomon.

"So…where am I?" Tiberius asked out loud as he followed along the path with the light. "The last thing I know was being in my room, then a blinding light before finding myself here."

"Oh, sounds like a trip through a Digi-Portal," the holder of the flashlight told him. "Must've opened on your computer and sucked you into the Digital World."

"Digital World? Digi-Portal?" Tiberius asked next, confused with those two terms.

"Yeah, Digi-World," Tentomon repeated. "You must be the new Digi-Destined Biyomon and Gatomon told us to look out for. For some reason, the new Digi-Destined seems to be coming individually. Speaking of which, what part of the Real World did you come from?"

"Um…Pembrokeshire, Wales," Tiberius answered, halting in front of a tree where the light stopped. The teenager still remained confused, unsure of what this person was talking about. "Digi-World? Digi-Portal? Digi-Destined? What is he talking about…" Tiberius thought, gazing up the tree. Though not clear, he was pretty sure he saw a tree house in those branches.

"Where are my manners! It must be getting a bit cold down there, please come right up!" Tentomon offered, dropping down a rope ladder. Tiberius shivered a bit, finally noticing he was cold. Without much else to go, he headed up the ladder.

* * * * * *

"So…let's get this straight…" Tiberius started, ready to sum up what everything Tentomon told him. "You are a Digimon, or a Digital Monster…and this is the Digital World…which is kind of like a mixed replica or the 'Real' World." Tiberius purposely accented the 'Real' in the sentence, still unsure about all this 'Digital'-ness. "The two worlds are connected by a gates known as Digi-Portals. When ever the Digi-World is in danger, the Digi-Portals open, allowing for a group of chosen known as the Digi-Destined to come through and save us all."

"That is correct my well-informed friend," Tentomon spoke, raising one of his claws. Tiberius regarded the insect type Digimon for a second. Initially, he was extremely surprised that the person he was talking to was a bug, sort of. Second, was the fact that the interior of Tentomon's home was lit brightly with electricity from an unknown source. Despite the size of the home, it still was able to house an average sized human quite nicely. Third, was Tiberius' new attire. He wore jeans, though one knee was torn, and a T-shirt with army boots. The teenager didn't notice until he actually stared at himself in the mirror that was in the house.

"I don't suppose you know the other two, do you? One is Shastina, the other is Tao," Tentomon asked, breaking the chain of thought.

"Shastina? Doesn't ring a bell…but Tao…?" Tiberius though, trying to recall the memories. "Blitz…?" Tiberius thought. "Fics…Blitz…wrote fics…which where by Tao Lee…" Tiberius nodded slightly. "I think I know Tao…not sure…but if this is the same Tao…I've never personally met him."

"Hmm…interesting…" Tentomon mused. "I wonder how all three of you are related."

"What do you mean?" Tibbs asked quickly.

"There is commonly one event that links all the Digi-Destined together…I wonder how you three are linked…" Tentomon continued. "Oh, I'm pretty sure Izzy would figure it out if he were here."

"Izzy? Who's Izzy?" Tiberius asked next. "Another Digi-Destined?"

"That is correct. We were partners. He was brilliant, hence giving him the Crest of Knowledge," Tentomon responded grandly, very proud of their friendship.

"Crest…of Knowledge?" Tiberius questioned next.

"My, you're a curious boy, just like Izzy," the Digimon told Tiberius, remembering those days. "Each Digimon that belonged with a Digi-Destined was able to Digivolve. However, in order to advance from a Champion level to a Ultimate level, the power of the Crests in conjunction with the Digivice was needed."

"So…since I'm a Digi-Destined…I should have a Digivice, and a Digimon, correct?" Tiberius observed. "I wonder when they will be revealed…" Tiberius thought, sort of anxious for it to happen. The teenager was curious about all that has transpired so far, and wished to learn more.

The ground quaked, softly at first, then harder, and harder, then soon with enough force to knock Tentomon and Tiberius off their feet. Both fell into a state of panic, surprised by the suddenness of the quakes.

"Oh no, it must be Tiermon again!" Tentomon shouted, leaping towards the window. Tiberius followed him to see the problem.

The sun was high, finally illuminating the forest down below. Tiberius didn't realize the two had talked for so long, as was tempted to check his watch if it weren't for the disaster at hand.

Trees were being toppled over quickly, as a long worm like Digimon slithered across the ground. The gapping maw that made the creatures mouth crushed its self on a tree, swallowing it in one bite.

"Tiermon is a worm like Digimon who lives in the forest. However, she only started attacking recently, causing fear and chaos amongst the other forest Digimon," Tentomon informed Tibbs. "This has gone to far! I have to stop her!" Tentomon shouted, flying out of the window.

"Hey, wait!" Tibbs objected, seeing the size difference between the two. "Curse it," Tiberius muttered, climbing down part of the rope ladder, jumping down the remainder once it was within safe falling distance.

"SUPER SHOCKER!" was all Tiberius heard before a purple streak of electricity in the form of a bolt lashed out at Tiermon. The massive worm roared out in pain, slamming trees left and right with her rear end, snapping them as if they were mere toothpicks. In retaliation, Tiermon threw her tail at Tentomon, the defending Digimon barely avoiding the attack. Tiermon's tail smashed against another tree, toppling it. Tibbs leaped out of the way to prevent from becoming a pancake by the falling wood.

"Man…that was close…" Tibbs muttered, catching his breath from the fear. The tree snapped in half, the fall cracking the outer shell of this hollow tree. The teenager checked to see if anything was inside, taken by surprise with the contents he saw.

"What's this?" he asked, noting the two items hidden in the tree. The first was a small device, which he took in his hand. "This the Digivice?" he asked, noting the brown grip in contrast to blue and white with the other two that Tao and Shastina got.

The second was the fact there was a Digimon inside the tree as well.

"Hey, you okay?" Tiberius asked, shaking the small Digimon. He resembled a white bunny, with extremely floppy ears. A blue jewel was embed on his forehead; and a red, twelve point star on his chest. The Digimon also possessed a rather large set of feet, which he used to jump up and straighten up. He stood on all fours, shaking his blue, puffy tail into perfection. "Odd how his ears fall right to the ground," Tiberius commented.

"So, you must be Tiberius, or Tibbs, right?" he asked, smiling. "My name is Lepumon, and I'll be your Digimon for a while."

"I kind of figured that out," Tiberius replied, grinning at the Digimon's enthusiasm.

The moment was shattered when Tiermon absolutely decimated another tree with her tail, lashing wildly at her surroundings.

"I think I just made her angry…" Tentomon whispered, hovering over beside the two. Tiermon glared as much as a worm could glare at the trio with intent to cause death.

"Oh, really?!" Lepumon remarked sarcastically. He remained on all fours, ready to attack.

"I'm guessing this means you found your Digivice and Digimon," Tentomon commented, noting the new companion and new item that Tiberius held in his hand.

"Yeah, but it doesn't do us any good if we're dead…" Tiberius muttered, stepping back. Impatient now, Tiermon lunged at the trio.

"SUPER SHOCKER!" Tentomon attacked, hoping to give the attacking Digimon a indigestion by aiming into her mouth.

"SOLAR SPARKLER!" Lepumon shouted, unleashing a golden beam of energy from the jewel on his forehead. Both attacked were aimed directly for Tiermon's mouth.

The massive worm cringed in pain, halting her assault. Recoiling back, her tail again went on a mass frenzy, destroying the nearby trees.

"Again!" Lepumon ordered, unleashing another Solar Sparkler attack, this time, directed at the exposed underbelly of the worm. Tentomon followed the example, unleashing his Super Shocked at the exact same location.

Tiermon hollered in pain, quickly turning around and retreating to whence it came from.

"Good riddance," Lepumon commented, brushing his 'hands' before turning to face his partner.

"Well, at least I know I won't be bored the duration I'll be here for," Tiberius told him, commenting on Lepumon's 'sarcastic' attitude. "Speaking of which, I don't suppose anyone knows what time it is, do they?"

"Why don't you check your watch?" Tentomon suggested, muddling the teenager.

"I'm not wearing a watch," Tiberius stated, wondering what the Digimon was talking about.

"What are you talking about?" Lepumon asked. "There's a watch right there," he told Tiberius, pointing to the small item on his wrist. Tiberius lifted his hand, finally noticing the watch that suddenly materialized on his arm.

"I don't remember putting on a watch…" Tiberius spoke out loud, attempting to find a way to explain this phenomenon. "You know, I don't even think I OWN a watch like this…" Tiberius continued, playing with the newly discovered item. In a matter of seconds, he already deduced the functions of the watch.

"This watch isn't mine, but it has one impressive feature," Tiberius told his two compatriots. "The watch has the ability to tell time in any time zone. However, this one time zone, DWT, baffles me. I've never heard of such a zone, and it is completely different from any other one in this watch."

"Digi World Time?" Lepumon suggested, getting a closer look at the watch.

"Can't be, Digi World time and Real World time are synchronized," Tentomon countered. "It must be for something else."

"Maybe…can't really be sure," Tiberius commented softly, setting it back to his own time, Greenwich Meridian Time. Leaving the watch alone, he decided to examine his Digivice next.

"There supposed to be a…" Tentomon started, but was cut short when Tiberius 'opened' his Digivice. "Digital Terminal function on the Digivice, as you might have just found out. You can send your e-mail in and out, as well as keep track of Crests and Digi-Eggs."

"I'll have to test it out, as soon as I figure out how to get home…" Tiberius told them, closing the Digivice and clipping it to his jeans.

"Well, according to Biyomon and Gatomon…you should be leaving…right about now."

As Tentomon predicted, Tiberius did leave the Digital World, in the same blind light display as the two before him.

"He'll be back, right?" Lepumon asked the other Digimon, a bit saddened that his partner vanished.

* * * * * *

Tiberius found himself back in his room again, a first confused, before remembering what Tentomon said.

"I'm in my room…" he thought, taking his Digivice. He held the item at eye level for a long time, contemplating what to do at the current moment.

"I know," he told himself, sitting down and opening the Digivice. Quickly, he typed in an e-mail address.

_Blitz_

We need to talk Digi-World, if you know what I'm talking about.

~GTK

Pushing the send button, Tiberius leaned back on his chair. Now all he had to do is wait for a reply.

Fin

****

Completed: 11/08/00

   [1]: mailto:TheoLeung@sprint.ca



	4. Episode 04-A Slice of New York

****

A Slice of New York

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[TheoLeung@Sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

K.H. Lai, a high school student that lives in New York yawned, the early morning getting to him. Sunday afternoon quickly rolled along as the student continuously worked away at a FanFic he was writing. Homework wasn't an issue, he already finished it on Saturday.

Also, the one known as K.H. was engaged in a chat with two other writers that he associated with often.

"How's that Fic coming along, Nobie?" Blitz typed in his chat window. K.H. noticed, but couldn't respond until after he concluded the paragraph he was writing for his FanFic.

"Still debating whether to alter this line or not," the teenager replied, quickly getting back to his writing.

"Still perfecting I see," GTK commented in his portion of the ICQ chat window. Nobie was using Split mode in the chat, so he could read what everyone typed at the same time.

"It's Nobie, and you know how he likes to do things, G," Blitz 'told' the third member of the room, prompting a 'lol' response from GTK.

"Argh…my slimy little bro is annoying me again…" G typed in next, get an 'lol' response back from Blitz.

"Hey, Nobie, pay more attention to the chat window please," Blitz asked, after releasing a pair of 'beeping' sound effects.

"I am," K.H. typed in 'plainly', before turning his attention once again back to the fic at hand.

"No witty counter attack Nobie?" Blitz asked, followed by a 'face' of disappointment.

"Just leave it alone, Blitz," GTK told his associate. "Speaking of which, did you get my e-mail?"

"Yeah, I got it…" Blitz replied. K.H. noticed the triple periods at the end, curious if that meant anything. "How was your trip?"

"It was…'interesting', to say the least," G typed in his chat window. Curious about the conversation now, K.H. intervened.

"What the heck are you two talking about?" he quickly typed, pausing his progression on his FanFic for a few moments. There was one hell of a long silence that followed, as neither of the other two members of the chat room would type anything.

"Nothing really Nobie…Just comparing notes, so to say," G replied quickly, the letters appearing on screen faster then normal. Blitz added a *Nod* action to his window. Not satisfied, but living with the answer, K.H. continued writing.

* * * * * *

K.H. splashed some water onto his face, attempting to wash the fatigue out of his eyes. He blinked a few times, staring at himself through the mirror. The teen brushed back his dark brown hair with a comb, before returning to his computer. What appeared on the screen puzzled him greatly.

His computer crashed, allowing for K.H. to leave for the bathroom for a moment while he waited for the computer to reboot. However, the fact that two windows opened alone on his computer was suspicious enough, especially when he had no previous encounters with these two windows.

The left window held an unfamiliar map in its frame, which K.H. analyzed carefully, attempting to conclude if the map was related to the current world, but couldn't see any definite pattern.

The second window on the other hand framed a picture of a canyon. The two sides spanned as far as the eye could see, though provided good shade against the sundering heat that the sunlight provided. The teenager moved his face closer to the screen, wondering if his eyesight could see the end of the canyon.

K.H. was gone, no where to be seen, like a disappearing act from a magician.

* * * * * *

"Well…that was an interesting…trip…" K.H. commented, noting his new surroundings. Of course, the first hint was the sudden change in temperature, followed by the fact he wasn't facing his computer screen anymore. Conjunction that information with the fact he took a trip through a 'wormhole' was all the evidence he needed something happened.

After a quick scan on his immediate surroundings, K.H. concluded that he was at the canyon he was looking at previously.

"How I got here is quite a mystery, however," he thought, beginning to walk forward between the two natural, stone walls. "Won't find anything staying still and gawking," the New York teen told himself, thankful the shade inside the canyon will protect him from the sun rays.

* * * * * *

"An infinite length canyon?" K.H. thought, continuing to walk aimlessly down between the two walls. "It sure feels like it," he whispered, stopping for a moment. The teenager glanced up at the clear blue skies above him. Clouds slowly floated by, idly wandering the land.

"Enjoying yourself?" a voice asked behind him, scaring the living heck out of K.H.. He quickly twirled around, seeing a weird looking 'monster' with a white fur coat on his back and a horn protruding from his forehead. "My name is Gabumon, and if you haven't heard from your three friends that traveled here before, I'm a Digimon."

"Digimon? Friends?" K.H. asked out loud unintentionally. "There were others before me?" he thought afterwards.

"I guess they haven't told you," Gabumon replied, walking towards the teenager. "This is the Digital World, or more commonly referred to as the Digi-World, the home of Digimon small and large."

"Well, Digimon must be short for Digital Monsters…considering you're a monster, and this is the Digital World," K.H. spoke, getting a nod from the monster. "And if this is a 'Digital' world…then this could possibly be inside a computer…" K.H. continued, examining his surroundings.

"According to Izzy, the Digital World and Real world are similar to each other in one way, but different in the next," Gabumon explained.

"Well, if this is a Digital World, then it must have used something as a model to base it on. The Real world seems to be the best choice," K.H. spoke, still unconcerned with the fact that he was in a completely alien world. The teenager continued walking, the Digimon staying by his side during the trek. "So, who are these other three that came before me?"

"Well, according to Biyomon, Gatomon, and Tentomon, their names were Tao, Shastina, and Tiberius," Gabumon informed K.H. "That makes you the forth Digi-Destined."

"Digi-Destined? That sounds like a cereal" K.H. commented, entering his Nobie-ish attitude, unsure what the Digital Monster known as Gabumon was referring to. Then again, there was a lot of this world he didn't know much of.

"Basically, those chosen to protect the Digi-World," Gabumon answered. "From what I have heard from the others, chances are, you don't have a Digivice, and by the looks of it, no Digimon partner either."

"Something gives me the idea I'll get these two later," K.H. commented, nervously glancing left and right. This trek of the canyon was making him uncomfortable. He had a feeling of impending disaster.

"Chances are, you'll get them very soon," Gabumon replied, stiffening. He also sensed something wrong, and was on full alert.

"I'm guessing something bad happens now…" K.H. whispered to the Digimon.

"Yeah…GET DOWN!!" he shouted, knocking the human over. Both hit the rocky surface hard, the pain from that was significantly less then the pain they would've felt if that manta ray like Digimon actually hit them.

"What was that?!" K.H. shouted, just seeing the long tail of the attacking Digimon sink into the ground. He traced the path of attack, noting a newly formed hole in the canyon wall, a hole wide and thin. A similar one was also added to the ground, most likely by whatever attacked.

"That was a Manstamon, a rock dwelling Digimon who looks like a manta ray from your world," Gabumon informed, keeping an eye out for another attack. "They are peaceful Digimon, however, they have started to become violent, as with other Digimon recently." All was quite in the canyon, as the two waited for another attack. "Quickly, we must go, before the Manstamon attacks again! Let's go…um…now that I think of it, I don't know your name."

"K.H.," the teen replied flatly, taking the Digimon's good advice, and beginning a sprint down between the canyon walls. Gabumon followed behind, constantly checking back to see if Manstamon was following, like that will do any good if their opponent could burrow underground. "So…explain to me…again…what the Digi-Destined are," K.H. asked between breaths as they continued their run.

"The Digi-Destined…are those chosen…to protect the Digi-World," Gabumon answered, also between his breath.

"Well…if Digimon…are getting more aggressive…that's got to be a cause…of concern…" K.H. commented, tiring quickly from the run. Nevertheless, he was still coming up with plausible answers for all this, even if it wasn't very plausible to be sucked into his own computer.

The explosion of dust and rock ahead of them halted their progress instantly. The Manstamon was clearly visible once the cloud of dust evaporated. Gabumon was correct, it did look sort of like a manta ray, however, the skin colour was clearly brown in nature, and there were sharp fangs at the mouth of the Digimon.

"If they're so peaceful, why do they need fangs like that?" K.H. asked the other Digimon, taking a step back.

"The fangs, combined with the speed they can travel at underground allows them to burrow through the solid rock," Gabumon informed, entering a fighting stance. "Of course, the fangs are also very good at chewing both of us up."

"I can figure that out," K.H. spoke plainly, wondering when the Manstamon will attack. "The build of the Manstamon…I wonder if it can glide through the air…" K.H. thought, seeing it as a method of attack from the Digimon. "Holy crap, what is that?! This thing is crazy! We'd better get moving..." he though, entering a laziness state again. "But moving requires effort, so... Ah hell," K.H. thought, before the Manstamon began an attack.

"GLIDE SPIKE!" Manstamon charged Gabumon, and as K.H. theory suggested, the manta ray like Digimon soared across the air, just a few inches above the ground. Despite that, the Digimon was traveling unusually fast.

"BLUE BLASTER!" Gabumon countered, attacking with a blue spray that hit the Manstamon home. Although temporally blinded, the Digimon continued his charge, slamming into Gabumon and knocking him into the wall. Gabumon grunted in pain, as Manstamon dug back into the ground, still trying to get the gunk out of his eyes.

"Hey, Gabumon, you okay?!" K.H. asked, running towards the Digimon that sat on the ground.

"Yeah…I'm okay…just got the wind knocked out of me…" he muttered, trying to regain his breath. "We…should go…before the Manstamon attacks again…" he continued, trying to get up, but fell back down. "Or…maybe not…" Gabumon whispered, holding his side. "He got me good…"

"Come on," K.H. told Gabumon, wrapping his left arm around Gabumon's back, while placing the Digimon's right arm over his shoulder. With a heave, K.H. lifted the Digimon up, and beginning to walk away except for another explosion that shot up right in front of them.

"Wha?!" both exclaimed, taken completely unexpectedly by the renewed attack. Manstamon blasted into the sky, taking it well above the height of the canyon. Soon, gravity began to pull the Digimon back down, directly towards the two targets.

"BOLT ORB!" The attack came from out of nowhere, smashing against the topside of the manta ray. There was a screech of pain as the Manstamon torpedoed into the wall, breaking a large chunk of it off at his speed. Both Gabumon and K.H. protected themselves from the falling debris and clots of dust.

"What was that?" K.H. asked Gabumon as the two waited for the scene to clear. Gabumon shrugged as much as his body would allow him to shrug, not sure of the answer himself.

A small clanking sound followed by something hitting the teenagers foot made him look down, noticing a small device on the ground. It looked exactly like the previous three, except for the yellow handgrip.

"Well, that must be your Digivice," Gabumon informed, coughing up dust. K.H. nodded, clipping the item to his pants. It was then that he finally noticed his new clothing as well. He wore jeans and a black jacket, which was overtopping a purple shirt he wore.

"Hilo! Oh, nice jacket, K.H.!" the young voice squeaked. The two found the source of the voice: a small Digimon which resembled a dragon. He had purple scales, and his un-scaled under belly was yellow. Two tails, both also purple, protruded from his form, one out of the upper half of his body, the other from his rear. "My name is Kinoumon, and I'll be your partner for a while! Geeze, I never thought I'd be able to find you after all this time!"

"Kinoumon? Wha? Damn, did someone slip me some 'shrooms?" K.H. asked, though clicked into the fact the Digimon was looking for him. "You were searching for me?"

"Yeah! For as long as I can remember!" Kinoumon exclaimed, smiling. "I'm happy I found you know K.H."

"The pleasure is mine," K.H. responded, smiling lightly. However, a small falling rock from the new rock pile at the wall caught their attention, as the pile began to rumble.

"I don't think this is over yet…" Gabumon commented, standing back up, recovered enough to hold his own now. Manstamon broke from his rock cage, hissing wildly at the trio.

"BLUE BLASTER!"

"BOLT ORB!" Kinoumon charged electricity between his tails, until he finally had enough charge to unleash a sphere of electrical energy at the attacker. Gabumon's initial attack stunned the Digimon enough for the Bolt Orb to hit home, electrocuting the Digimon.

Yelping in pain, the Manstamon burrowed back into the ground, not showing his face anymore for the duration of time.

"Well, now that we settled THAT, how's it going K.H.?" Kinoumon asked, grinning.

"This is…an interesting place you have here," K.H. commented, surprised about the world within a world. The boy sat down, taking his Digivice. After a quick run through, he opened the Digivice, which frightened him a bit, though the teen quickly calmed down.

"Apparently, you can possibly send and receive e-mail with the new Digivice," Gabumon spoke. "I wonder if it's true…"

"Well, only one way to find out, right?" K.H. asked rhetorically. Kinoumon perched himself on K.H.'s shoulder to get a better view of what was going on. K.H. messed around with the keys for a bit, getting the feel for the controls.

"So, does it work?" Gabumon asked, curious, as was most of the other Digimon who informed him of the new Digi-Destined.

"Yeah, it works, I just accessed my e-mail account," K.H. spoke. He closed the Digivice and clipped it back onto his belt. "No new mail of course though," he added, standing back up.

"I'm sure Tentomon will be interested in hearing that," Gabumon commented, also standing.

"What? That I have no mail?"

"No, that the Digivice also acts as a e-mail sender/receiver," Gabumon corrected, apologizing for the clarity of his previous remark.

"Don't need to apologize," K.H. responded, shrugging. He petted Kinoumon, who giggled at his touch. The teen smiled, happy for the young Digimon. "So, when do I get to go home then?" K.H. asked next, worried if his parents found out that he was out of the house for a long time.

"Oh, if pattern serves true, right about now," Gabumon informed. K.H.'s Digivice beeped violently, as a blinding light engulfed the teen. In a matter of seconds, he was gone, Kinoumon falling to the ground with a thud.

"I guess you were right…" he commented, scratching his injured back lightly.

* * * * * *

K.H. blinked once, then twice, then thrice, before he finally got his bearings. His mind already knew he was home, but apparently, his body didn't want to respond yet. Of course when his body did start to respond, he sat back down at his computer, seeing the program that got him to the Digi-World in the first place was now closed.

"Curses…" he muttered, though noticing the new icon on his desktop. "Well, at least I know I still have access to the world," he thought, leaning back on his chair, recalling his previous events. "I was gone for about four hours…" K.H. thought, checking his watch. Two things surprised him. The first was that only two hours elapsed in 'Real' time. Second was the fact this wasn't his watch.

"Maybe…this is also Digi-Destined equipment," K.H. spoke out loud, checking out what other features there were on this new acquisition. "Interesting, stores multiple time zones…and DWT?" the teen asked, confused with the acronym. "Digi-World Time?" he asked, wondering how true it was. "I'm going have to experiment the next time I head back into the Digital World,"

K.H. glanced back at the screen, his gaze falling onto the new icon. "Next time…"

Fin

****

Completed: 11/15/00

   [1]: mailto:TheoLeung@Sprint.ca



	5. Episode 05-The Digital World Calls

****

The Digital World Calls

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[TheoLeung@Sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

Monday morning came quickly, faster then Tao believed possible. He was still absorbing the fact that he went to an alternate world Friday after school. The teenager stood on the bus, gazing out the window. Tao remained unusually silent, even when Marc asked him what was wrong.

"It's nothing," was all Tao responded with. Of course, his mind was set with the Digital World and the two e-mails he got: one from Prism, or better known to him as Shastina; and the other from GTK. Both took a trip to the Digital World, like him. Both had a Digivice, and both had a Digimon.

"What does it all mean?" Tao thought, his hand in his pocket, where he gripped his Digivice tightly and out of sight.

"Hey, Tao," Marc spoke, slapping his arm. "Our stop is next. Won't do you any good if you miss school."

"Yeah…okay…" Tao replied, glancing out the window just to be sure. "Thanks Marc…" he told his friend, stepping off the bus. His school, Don Mills Collegiate Institute, loomed in front of him.

"Come on, another period of English awaits," Marc told his companion, pushing him along across the school's lawn.

* * * * * *

"I wish I had a regular lunch period…" Marc complained, slamming his locker shut. Ten o'clock quickly came, signaling the end of Period 1.

"Yeah, but at least you got time for homework…I can't work at regular lunch, too much noise…" Tao countered, not in the same mood he was in on the bus.

"That's true…but still…" Marc replied, trailing off. The two started down the bustling corridor as other students of DMCI headed towards their Period 2 class. "Anyway…have fun in accounting…the library computer calls for me."

"Heh, okay Marc. See ya," Tao responded, waving off to his friend before entering the empty classroom. Not even the teacher was there yet. "First one as usual…" Tao muttered, noticing the computers lined up around the perimeter of the room. Following natural instinct, he headed to one that sat by a corner, and logged in, still having his bag on his back. "Wonder if I got any new e-mail…wait a minute…" Tao mused, removing his Digivice from his pocket. G explained how to use the e-mail function of the Digivice to him last night over ICQ when Nobie disappeared for a bit.

"Let's see…" he thought, accessing his e-mail. He was disappointed when he found there was no new messages on his account. "Oh well," he muttered, closing his Digivice and stepping away from the computer.

His Digivice went off, beeping madly.

"What the heck?!" Tao exclaimed, thankful that no one was in the class yet. His gaze slowly fell onto the computer screen, where the two familiar windows that took him to the Digi-World in the first place were on. "They're…calling me again?" he thought, holding up the Digivice. "Well, at least I get to skip accounting for this," he spoke, grinning. With those words, the light engulfed him.

"Hey, what was that?" a student asked, stepping into the room. He scanned the room, seeing nothing wrong. "I thought…oh, never mind…school is so stressful…" he muttered, leaving the room and rushing towards his next class.

* * * * * *

Marc Durron sat down at one of the computers in the library. His computer was in the secluded corner in the computer room that resided inside the library. However, since it was a Period 2 lunch, no one else was in the computer room. Rarely anyone came here unless they had to finish their computer homework, and right now, only Marc needed to do that.

"Damn this Physics lab report…" the DMCI student muttered, logging onto the network. "At least I got most of it done last night…" he thought, inserting a floppy into the disk drive. The floppy drive hummed loudly as it accessed the file Marc wanted, opening it on Microsoft Word.

Despite the amount of work he did overnight, completing the assignment still took him a good portion of the period. It was 11:00 A.M. before he was able to print his report, ending up being six pages long.

"This is going to put a hole in my paper supply…" Marc muttered, getting the sheets of paper from the printer. He checked the time, noticing there was only 20 minutes left in the period. Quickly, he stapled his lab report together and returned to his computer, placing the file into his binder. Without looking, he took the disk from the disk drive, inserted it into his planner, and packed everything into his bag. The teenager spun around to face the computer, and was surprised to find a program that opened its self.

"Hey, this isn't on the school computer," Marc thought, not recognizing the origins of the new program, and he's been through all the programs on the school computer. There were two windows, one with a map of some world, while the other showed a scene.

"A mountain side?" Marc noticed, wondering where in the world this place could be. Dozens of mountains spanned as far as the eye could see, though the altitude shown was now high enough to cause snow to form. A path was barely noticeable on the terrain. "The Alps?" Marc thought, before the Digi-World took its effect and sucked the teenager whole.

* * * * * *

Tiberius tossed his backpack onto the ground, tired after another long school day. Exhausted, he flopped onto his bed, checking the time with his new watch that he acquired after entering the Digi-World.

"4:20…" he read, closing his eyes. "I wonder if the Digi-Portal is open…" the teenager thought, wiping his face with his dry hands. He slid out of the bed and headed towards his computer, still on, through all seven hours of school. With a flick on the mouse, the black screen lit up. To the dismay of the teen, the Digi-Portal failed to open during those seven hours.

"Dang…" Tiberius thought, flopping back onto his bed. "Guess…I'll just have to wait some more…" he told himself.

The brown Digivice Tiberius owned suddenly blared to life, startling the teen. He quickly removed the device from his pocket, noticed the energy build-up from the item, then turned his head to face the computer.

"Yes! It's open!" Tiberius exclaimed, hoping to get another look at the Digital World. He ran up to his computer, anxious to re-visit the place. In mere seconds, the teenager was pulled into the gate towards the Digital World.

* * * * * *

"Maybe I should've checked where I was going before going…" Tao thought, shivering as cold air quickly embraced him when he entered the Digital World. The student stood on a path that trailed around one of the many mountains in the area. Although not high enough for frost to form, it was still cold. He wrapped his arms around his own body, trying to keep some heat. The wind howled loudly as if blew between mountains, making it feel even colder.

"Brr…yeah, I definitely should've checked first…" he muttered, his breath appearing as mist in the cold air. He had been travelling for about two hours and a half now, with no sign of life yet. He was happy when he found shelter: A small cave of some sort, which can protect against the wind, even if it wasn't very effective. He dropped his bag that went with him into Digi-World lazily onto the ground.

"Well…nice idea this was…" Tao muttered, taking his Digivice. He had half a mind to toss the item away, until the device started beeping. On the screen were two red dots, one at the center while another was in the upper right hand corner area. "What the…?" Tao thought, unsure of what this new occurrence meant.

* * * * * *

Tiberius sneezed loudly, echoing across the mountains. The U.K. teenager shuddered, the cold air beginning to get to him.

"Here for three minutes, and you're already starting to feel cold…" Tibbs whispered, still trying to decipher what happened when his Digivice went off a few seconds ago. There were two red dots on his screen, one being at the center. The other was in the lower left corner of the screen. "If it's a locator…then I should be heading…that way…" Tiberius thought, indicating somewhere farther down the path he was on. It was still hard to assess where the path will take him, since it wound around the mountainside in chaotic fashions.

Tiberius took another step forward before he was interrupted with a loud and long growl that echoed through the area. He stopped in his tracks, suddenly afraid with the upcoming events.

* * * * * *

Tao froze in place, hearing the inhuman cry rebound across the rock mountains. Just the voice alone gave way for thoughts of cruelty and pain.

"I think I'm really going to hate what's coming up…" the teenager muttered, checking his Digivice again. Whatever that red dot represented on his Digivice, it sure was close by now.

The wall down the path suddenly exploded. Rock shrapnel flew outwards, as a bird type Digimon flew past, paying no attention to Tao as it passed by. The Digimon resembled a massive, jet black raven, which soared pass and turning around, ready to attack whoever was up there again.

Even if it wasn't safe, Tao ran forward anyway, hoping to catch a glimpse of the scene before anything truly disastrous occurred.

Another teenager was slowly getting up, and considering the fact that the hole in the mountainside was pretty much right beside, the attack must've been aimed at him.

The familiar and deadly cry returned to attack again. The massive raven charged right for the other teen.

"Hey, look out!!" Tao shouted, rushing forward. The victim glanced up and noticed the raven opening his massive beak for an attack.

"TEMPEST BLAST!" the raven shouted, unleashing a colourless globe of energy. It was only noticeable with the ripple of air that surrounded the attack.

The mountainside exploded again, tossing rock and pebbles down and below. Tao tackled the other teenager just in time, as flying rock smashed against his backside.

"Geeze…you picked a bad time to come to the Digital World…" Tao muttered, standing back up. The raven like Digimon was gone, though probably turning around for another attack.

"You know what they say, curiosity killed the cat," the other replied smartly, getting up as well. "Name's Tiberius," he introduced.

"Tao. The pleasure is mine," Tao replied, awaiting another attack.

"Hey, wait a minute, Blitz?!" Tiberius exclaimed, scaring the heck out of Tao.

"How did you know that?!" Tao shouted back, suddenly suspicious of the new comer. "Wait…G?" he asked, more calmly this time.

"Yeah…though I think we should talk about this later…that bird is coming back again…" Tiberius muttered, pointing towards the attacker's direction.

"That's not cool…" Tao replied, bracing for the attack. "Wish Harriermon was here…"

"Or Lepumon…" Tiberius added, also bracing for the attack.

"TEMPEST BLAST!" the raven shouted again, charging for the attack.

"SOLAR SPARKLER!" another voice yelled out, as a golden beam of energy impacted against the black raven, making the Digimon caw in pain, its attack firing wide and completely missing the target. Both teens looked up, seeing Harriermon flying towards them, Lepumon riding on his back.

"Lepumon!!" Tiberius cried out, overjoyed to see his Digimon partner. The bunny jumped off of Harriermon's back and into the teenager's arms.

"Nice to see you again Tibbs!" the bunny shouted, nuzzling the human.

"I take it Revmon was giving you some trouble," Harrier asked, landing by his partner's feet.

"Well, if that massive raven is Revmon, yeah, we got problems," Tao answered, kneeling down and scooping up the Digimon.

"Don't look now, but here he comes for another attack!" Lepumon shouted, jumping back down and ready to face off with the other aerial Digimon.

"Leave this one to me!" Harriermon shouted, flapping out of the arms of his partner and heading right towards the target.

"GALE WING!" Harriermon's speed suddenly sky rocketed, as the bird blasted right past Revmon, knocking the raven out of the sky.

"Yeah! Take him down!" Tao shouted, seeing the Digimon fall past the dense mist down below. Harriermon, satisfied with the result, returned back to the mountain path. "Nice job," Tao complimented, Harriermon bowing his head in acknowledgement.

"TEMPEST BLAST!"

The renewed attack blasted the platform Tao was standing on, instantly crumbling his foothold. Tao let out a yelp of panic, arms flailing to grab hold onto something before he fell to his demise. Quickly, Tiberius grabbed him, the Toronto teenager dangling perilously over the mist.

"Thanks…" Tao whispered, losing his breath from the experience. Tiberius nodded, ready to pull him up.

"Um…lucky reaction blast?" Lepumon inquired, wondering about the accuracy of that attack from Revmon.

"No…he's back…" Harriermon muttered, seeing the raven slowly flap his way back up above the mist. "Lepumon, let's go--!" the Digimon shouted, interrupted when the raven unleashed another Tempest Blast. The two Digimon basically got flattened against the wall, unprepared.

* * * * * *

"CYCLIC PUNCH!" the Digimon shouted, unleashing a storm of fumes at Revmon. The Digimon was a small dragon like Digimon, two feet tall in height and with blue scales. There were red highlights on his tails and claws. The green wings on his back allowed him to hover, but not fly.

"Man, Tao…this is an interesting place you got here…" Marc thought, holding a Digivice in his hand. The Digivice was similar to the previous four found, except for the crimson red grip that accompanied it. Marc glanced down at his Digimon, named Xemon, who explained everything to the teenager before explosions started rocking the area.

"Digimon…Digital World…Digivice…Digi-Destined…it makes sense…in an unusual sort of way, it makes sense," Marc thought, watching the gas that Xemon launched head right towards Revmon. The raven didn't notice the noxious fumes until it was upon him, choking him while prior to that, and the impact knocking the wind out of the Digimon. Unable or unwilling to fight anymore, the Digimon retreated into the depths of the mountains, flying as fast as his injured wings would take him.

"Nice job Xemon," Marc complimented, rushing over to the two other Digi-Destined attacked. The first he recognized as Tao, though the second was still a mystery to him.

"Geez Marc…cutting it close there!" Tao muttered, getting pulled up by the combined might of the two. "Hey, wait a minute, MARC!" Tao exclaimed, the realization of the next Digi-Destined dawning on him.

"Okay, next time, I WON'T rescue you then," Marc countered, grinning.

"Um…you know each other?" the third person asked, glancing back and forth between the two.

"Oh, Tiberius, this is Marc. Marc, Tiberius," Tao introduced, the two shaking hands.

"And this is Xemon," Marc added, pointing towards the dragon like Digimon. Marc turned to face the two other Digimon against the wall, who were recovering from the effects of the previous attack. "Let me, guess…Harriermon and Lepumon…" The other two Digi-Destined were surprised at Marc's knowledge, until he told the two that Xemon explained everything to him.

"There are supposed to be two other Digi-Destined as well," Marc spoke, sitting down on the rocky path.

"Yeah, one is Shastina," Tao responded, exhausted after the current events. "Of course the other is still a mystery to me."

"His name is K.H., and his Digimon is Kinoumon," Marc informed, sighing. "Well, so much for handing in my Physics report," he muttered.

"Shastina and Tigramon makes it five," Tiberius finished, glancing at his watch. "Think there will be a sixth?"

"And you expect me to know?" Tao murmured, barely understandable to his comrades. His thoughts quickly fell onto another subject.

"Well…Shastina…if we meet in the Digital World, we get our wish…" Tao thought, sighing. "Maybe not the best circumstances, but it's better then nothing…"

Each Digivice simultaneously went off, the beeping amplified by the echo provided from the terrain.

"I guess this is where we go…" Tiberius spoke, the Digivice beginning to build up energy.

"Yeah…until next time then, G…" Tao answered, the trio disappearing into thin air.

"Hey…where did Lepumon disappear too?" Xemon inquired. The remaining two Digimon quickly glanced around, finding no sign of the third Digimon.

* * * * * *

The two DMCI students warped back into the Real world, both standing in the Library, which was thankfully still empty. Marc and Tao were both surprised that the room was empty, considering how a lot of students came here during the lunch periods.

"Hey, it's only 11:20!" Marc exclaimed, after checking his new watch. "I can still get to Physics!" With those final words, the student grabbed his bag and rushed out of the room.

"Eleven twenty? But I was in the Digital World for over 2 hours…that doesn't make sense…" Tao thought, gathering his thoughts and also heading out. "Explanation? Maybe G will know…" The Digi-Destined opened his Digivice, writing an e-mail to the teen in U.K.

* * * * * *

Tiberius Hartz blasted back into his room with a surge of energy, nearly falling over on the return.

"Another trip to the Digital World completed…" he spoke out.

"I'll have to agree with you there!" the voice concurred. Tibbs quickly looked down, seeing Lepumon at his feet.

"Hey, how did you get out of the Digital World!?" Tiberius shouted, surprised that his Digimon followed him out.

"And you expect ME to explain that?" Lepumon answered sarcastically.

"Yeah, right," Tiberius responded, checking the time. "Only five minutes have elapsed since I entered the Digital World? Wow, feels longer…"

"It was longer," Lepumon piped in. "The battle itself was at least five minutes long."

"Okay…so…how do you explain the time fluctuation?" Tibbs countered, getting silence from his Digimon companion. "Okay, bad question. Forgive me, but I'm just curious."

"Yeah, no problem! The answer will probably turn up sooner or later!" Lepumon added, smiling.

Fin

****

Completed: 11/19/00

****

Additional Notes:

Five episodes completed and five Digi-Destined introduced. All the Digi-Destined are based on people I know through Internet means like ICQ and AIM, or which I met on a FanFic site. If you wish to talk to the people themselves, here we go:

Tao Lee (AKA, ME! ^^):

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][2]

Shastina Lawson:

[animanga_13@yahoo.com][3]

Tiberius Hartz:

[gtkelpie@hotmail.com][4]

K.H. Lai:

[SDShamshel@mailcity.com][5]

Marc Durron

[cmdrtoe@yahoo.com][6]

   [1]: mailto:TheoLeung@Sprint.ca
   [2]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca
   [3]: mailto:animanga_13@yahoo.com
   [4]: mailto:gtkelpie@hotmail.com
   [5]: mailto:SDShamshel@mailcity.com
   [6]: mailto:cmdrtoe@yahoo.com



	6. Episode 06-The U.S. Crew

****

The U.S. Crew

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

Shastina pressed her back against the tree, her face drenched in sweat, her breathing hard and difficult.

"SONIC SWORD!" Shastina ducked down, fear in her eyes as the tree she was leaning on suddenly fell, crashing onto another tree. The sea of tress provided little protection against her pursuer as he relentlessly chased her.

Shastina continued to run, as more and more trees began to topple around her, each coming closer and closer to crushing her.

"LOOK OUT!" the voice shouted, a force knocking her over. The path she was just running on was replaced with a large tree that surely would've crushed her if she stayed on course.

Shastina gazed up, seeing an unfamiliar boy that was her saviour. Her age, with black hair and brown eyes, who wore a red vest. Some how…even if she never knew him…she felt close to this person…very close…

"Run, I'll stop him!" he shouted to her, quickly jumping to his feet. The female could just make out a Digivice strapped to her saviour's, though the colour eluded her. She quickly got to her feet, as the boy rushed head long towards the chaser. Her pursuer's form was only visible through the outline, which slowly was raising a blade.

"NOOOOOOO!!" Shastina shouted, as another Sonic Sword attack was unleashed, bringing the boy to his knees, then flat onto the ground, his blood pouring over the grass, staining it crimson.

Through the shadows, she could see the killer grinning, filled with maddening glee on the success of his murder.

* * * * * *

"NO!" Shastina screamed out, pretty much drowning in her own cold sweat. She was breathing hard, attempting to recollect her thoughts. "It was…just a dream…no…a nightmare…" she muttered, hoping to console herself with such thoughts.

"Four o'clock…Monday afternoon," Shastina remembered, recalling the previous few moments. "Got tired from school…decided to take a nap…what a bad idea…" she muttered, holding her head in her hands.

"Does it mean anything? He was…someone I knew…" Shastina thought, trying to assess the situation.

"No, no, no…it was a dream…nothing more…" she told herself, shaking her head violently to try to dislodge the previous thought from her head. "Already enough despair in life…I don't need anymore…" she muttered, slipping out bed. She didn't change when she got back home, only flopped onto the bed and fell asleep.

"Well, this sucks, I got my bed all dirty," Shas thought, cursing silently for her incompetence on not the change clothing. Shaking her head, she turned around and was astonished to see her computer on.

"Hey, I didn't turn my computer on," she whispered, taking a step towards the electronic device. The familiar sight of the Digi-Portal was on the screen, revealing the location of some sort of desert. The sun was down however, so it wasn't searing hot in the Digital World.

Shastina quickly withdrew her Digivice from her jean pocket. The white handled Digivice beeped loudly, as it began to accumulate energy for travel to the Digital World.

"Well, here I go again…" she muttered, bracing for the trip.

"Maybe I'll get some answers…"

* * * * * *

K.H. paced back and forth in front of his computer, waiting impatiently for it to reboot.

"Just calm down," K.H. told himself, following the usual advice of breathing in and out slowly. "It's not like the world is going to end or anything…" he continued as the computer began to load up Windows.

"Man, this is loading slower then a Slowb—hey, what the?!" he exclaimed, when it wasn't Windows that loaded, but another familiar program which K.H. was happy to see.

"So, the Digital World wants another go?" he asked, making note of the desert terrain. "I sure hope no more Manstamon come after me this time," he commented, taking his green handled Digivice. Again, there was an energy build up from the Digivice before it began to warp the teenager to the Digital World.

"Oh, and I better time this too," K.H. thought, hastily setting his stopwatch.

* * * * * *

Shastina glanced left and right, trying to get her bearings straight. She had no clue where she was in possibly the Digital Worlds largest sandbox, and the only place that looked remotely suspicious was a lamppost.

"Wait a minute, a lamppost?" Shastina thought. "What would a lamppost be doing out in the middle of nowhere?" she asked out loud, deciding to head over anyway. "There's nowhere else to go…a start is better then nothing," she thought, heading over to the post.

It wasn't long before she was standing underneath the light shined down by the lamppost, though it hardly served a purpose except to make the teenager more curious about this item.

"So…what WOULD a lamppost be doing out here?" Shas repeated, trying to think up any plausible reason for this to be here.

"Well, if you want to know, it's just here," the voice told her from above. She quickly glanced up, seeing an all to familiar face. "Miss me?" Tigramon asked, leaping down from the top of the post. There was a huge grin on the feline's face.

"Tigramon!" Shastina shouted, beyond happy to see the Digimon again. The teenager scooped Tigramon up into her arms, before a question dawned upon her. "Wait, how did you find me?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, just cat instinct," Tigramon replied, her grin getting wider. The cat leapt down from Shastina, motioning for Shastina to follow. "Come, someone else is waiting for us," was all Tigramon explained, before walking off.

"Hey, wait! Who?!" Shastina questioned, running to catch up with the Digimon. Tigramon didn't reply, only continuing to head out deeper into the desert.

* * * * * *

"So…what is a mailbox doing out in the desert?" K.H. asked, knocking the top of the hollow, blue, box.

"Why bother asking?" Kinoumon asked his partner, leaping onto the mailbox. "K.H., we don't have time for this. We need to meet someone."

"And who would that be?" K.H. inquired, still inspecting the box.

"Come on! I'll show you!" Kinoumon exclaimed, leaping off the box and rushing deeper into the desert.

"Hey, wait! Don't go out alone!" K.H. protested, chasing after the dragon like Digimon and forgetting all about his inspection of the box.

* * * * * *

"Hey, Tigramon! Slow down!" Shastina yelled out, the cat speeding ahead of her at an unbelievable pace. The cat like Digimon didn't give up on her pace, but glanced back to make sure Shastina was keeping up with her.

"Try to keep up Shas!" Tigramon shouted back, giggling. She was rudely interrupted when the ground underneath her began to rumble. "Wha--?" Tigramon spoke in a surprised voice, as the land began to rise for no apparent reason. The piece of land reeled back, rolling Tigramon off and stopping at Shastina's feet.

"Tigramon?!" Shas exclaimed, kneeling down beside the Digimon. Both watched in awe as another Digimon emerged from the sand. Slowly, with a long groan, the Digimon shook the sand off, then turned to face the two.

"Kamemon? Tigramon stammered. The giant tortoise stared at both of them with yellowish like skin and shell colour. Amber streaks ran down his shell, though it was unclear if it was a characteristic of the species or if it was painted on.

"SHELL CANNON!" Kamemon opened his mouth, charging crimson energy into a globe of power.

"Get down!" Tigramon yelled, knocking Shastina over to the side. The two tumbled just out of the way. The beam of crimson energy blasted past, leaving black, scorched sand behind. "Leave it to me!" Tigramon told Shastina, rushing towards the giant turtle.

"SILVER FANG!" Tigramon leaped at Kamemon, attempting to bite into the Digimon. However, the hard shell which Tigramon impacted on only made her teeth sore. "OOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!" she exclaimed, hopping back to Shastina. "NEVER bite a turtle…" she muttered, Kamemon laughing at the futile attempt to hurt him.

"BOLT ORB!" The blast of electricity slammed into Kamemon's rear end, making it cry out. In unbelievable speed, Kamemon turned around to face the newcomers. A boy with nearly black hair, jeans, and a black coat on top of a purple shirt. His Digimon stood beside him, a small dragon like Digimon with purple scales and twin tails.

"Hey, Kinoumon, is that K.H.?!" Tigramon shouted to the two.

"Yeah, it's him!" Kinoumon shouted back. "I'm guessing that is Shastina then!"

"What took you so long to figure that out?!"

"Oh, not very long!" Kinoumon faced K.H., grinning. "Come on K.H., let's join them," Kinoumon suggested, not waiting for an answer. The Digimon quickly ran over to the others, K.H. following close behind.

"Oh, and nice shot with the Silver Fang," Kinoumon added, smirking.

"Oh, shut up," Tigramon countered, waiting for another attack.

"SANDSTORM!" Kamemon growled out as the wind beginning to pick up. Sand began to blow everywhere, hence resembling a sandstorm.

"Woah!" Shastina shouted, covering her face from the flying bits of sand. K.H. followed her example. Their Digimon tried their best to protect themselves as well, though to no avail. It wasn't long before the four weakened under the attack, even if the attack subsided.

"Shastina, are you okay?!" Tigramon asked the teenage girl who was still brushing sand out of her hair and clothing.

"I could've done without the sand bath, thank you very much," she replied sarcastically.

"Ah yes…who knew sand could be so dangerous…" K.H. piped in, digging his way out of the sand.

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't look now, but Kamemon is readying for another ATTACK!!" Kinoumon shouted, tackling K.H. out of the way.

"SHELL CANNON!" Kamemon again toasted the sand that surrounded the two teens while their Digimon knocked both of them out of the way.

"Come on, let's go!" Tigramon shouted, leaping at Kamemon. Kinoumon followed, also leaping at the turtle. With one move, the tortoise's arm was up and smashed the two away with unbelievable agility. Both Digimon cried out in pain, skidding in the sand to a stop.

"Tigramon!"

"Kinoumon!"

Both partners ran up to their Digimon, cradling them in their arms.

"I'm…sorry…Shas…" Tigramon muttered weakly.

"Failed…not a word you like…" Kinoumon told K.H.

"You tired…" both told their Digimon, standing up. Kamemon was laughing as much as a turtle could laugh, before charging for another attack.

"SHELL…"

"We got to try something!" Tigramon shouted, leaping out of her partners arm, barely able to support herself.

"Yeah!" Kinoumon agreed, also leaping down.

"But…" both protested, until the Digivices started reacting.

"Huh, what's this?" K.H. asked, removing his Digivice. Shastina also removed hers. Both items were building up energy again, supercharging their Digimon for battle. A pillar of light hit both Digimon, increasing their powers exponentially.

"Kinoumon…Digivolve to…"

The Digimon seemed to grow in size, though blinding light made it impossible to identify what was going on. All that could be told was that Kinoumon was changing, very quickly.

"Legionarimon!"

If anything, the Digimon seemed completely different. Not a dragon anymore, more resembling a large insect. The Digimon resembled an ant of sorts, with natural chitinous crimson armour resembling that of an armoured soldier. Two mandibles were on his head while a stinger was on his rear.

"Tigramon…Digivolve to…"

In similar fashion, Tigramon also grew in size, though the metamorphosis was fast, much like Kinoumon's transformation.

"Toramon!"

Not as a drastic transformation as Kinoumon, however, it was quite apparent the Digimon grew in size. With silver fur and black stripes running down her back, Toramon was everything like Tigramon, except for she was bigger, had a ruby shaped as a star on her forehead, and armed with silver claws.

"What the heck--?" K.H. exclaimed, unsure of what just happened.

"They…changed…" Shastina added, also in an equally dubious state.

"Get down!" Legionarimon warned, pretty much knocking both humans away from the arc of the attack before retreating himself.

"DENKOU CLAW!" Toramon leapt at Kamemon, electricity clearly being stored in her claws. With one fell swipe, she electrocuted the attacking Digimon, though not inflicting enough pain to stop the attack.

"SHELL CANNON!" Kamemon fired the beam wide, easily evaded by the two Digimon.

"SONIC MANDIBLES!" Legionarimon clashed his two mandibles together rapidly, causing a shockwave to ripple across the air and directly towards Kamemon.

"SHUURAI!" Toramon harnessed the power of lightning, striking bolts of power down at the tortoise.

Kamemon growled in pain, retreating a step and then burrowing back into the ground, hoping never to meet these adversaries again.

With the battle over, both Digimon reverted back to their original forms, exhausted beyond belief. Both humans took their Digimon, holding then in caring embraces.

"Nice job Tigramon…" Shastina whispered, getting a weak smile from the cat.

"That was quite a feat there. Congratulations," K.H. told Kinoumon. The small dragon nodded, leaning his head against the human's chest.

"I don't suppose you have a clue what that was," Shastina asked the other human.

"I have no clue…but by the sounds of it…possibly a Digital Evolution?" K.H. inferred, holding Kinoumon in one hand, and taking his Digivice in another.

"Hmm…maybe Blitz or GTK would know," Shastina spoke, also taking her Digivice.

"Blitz…GTK…?" K.H. asked, surprised that those two names would actually appear in this conversation.

"Yeah, they're both Digi-Destined, like us," Shastina informed him, tickling the feline in her arms.

"Both…of them?" K.H. asked, dumbfounded. "Well…that would be an interesting turn of events…" he mused, confusing Shastina now.

"What do you mean?" Shas asked, approaching the other human.

"I know both of them as well…" K.H. responded, opening his Digivice with one hand. "Tell me, what is your ICQ name?"

"Prism…" Shastina answered, getting suspicious of this interrogation.

"Yes…I would believe that…" K.H. muttered, compiling an e-mail. "For the record, my name is Nobie."

"Nobie?!" Shastina exclaimed, blinking dubiously a few times. "Well, I'd never thought we'd meet under these circumstances!"

"Yeah, well, times change…" was all the reply. In a few seconds, Nobie compiled his e-mail, sent it, and closed his Digivice. "I suggest we get out of here before something else decides to happen."

"Agreed," was the response, and on cue, both Digivices began to blare, storing up energy again.

"I guess this is where we leave then…" K.H. told Shastina, bowing his head. "Until next time…"

* * * * * *

K.H. appeared back in his room faster then he expected. Quickly, he took his stopwatch and stopped it. With some quick mental math, the teen calculated what he needed to know.

"Digital World time is faster…but why?" he asked, finally noticing a weight on his arm. He glanced down, seeing Kinoumon sleeping in his arms. Initially surprised, the one nicknamed Nobie was happy to know that his Digimon would be safe. He set the Digimon down on his bed to sleep, before sitting back at the computer to continue analyzing information.

* * * * * *

"Hey…Shas…is this the Real world?" Tigramon asked, coughing lightly.

"Shh…don't talk…just get some sleep…" Shas told her Digimon, wrapping her in a blanket on the bed. Tigramon was about to protest, but didn't have enough energy to do so. She only nodded, closing her eyes.

Satisfied, Shastina sat down at her desk, opening her Digivice. She entered Blitz's e-mail address, telling him everything about the events to this day. She couldn't wait for the teen from Toronto to get on ICQ, she wanted a reply soon.

"Come on Blitz, just one quick reply…" Shastina muttered, closing her Digivice. She glanced back at Tigramon, who was now asleep, snoring softly.

"Sweet dreams, Tigramon…" Shastina whispered.

Fin

****

Completed: 11/20/00

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	7. Episode 07-Take it to the Next Level

****

Take it to the Next Level

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

Tiberius once more discarded his bag beside his desk, exhausted from another day of school. The 15-year-old removed his glasses and wiped them clean, before replacing them on his face. Lepumon laid on his bed, sleeping peacefully.

The teenager's main concern right now was an e-mail he received from a friend.

_Hey G_

I got some interesting information for you, my Digi-Destined friend. Yes, I know you're a Digi-Destined. In fact, I must inform you that I am one as well.

Man, I sound way too serious for this e-mail.

Anyway, as I continue, between, you, me, Blitz, and Prism(Shastina), that makes four Digi-Destined. I'm not sure if there are anymore, maybe you could shine some light on the matter.

I've discovered two things about the Digital World and Digimon. The first is Digital Evolution, or Digivolve. I'm not sure what it actually is, but when a Digimon Digivolves, they sort of increase in level. You know, like those RPG games, except it's not permanent. The Digimon revert back to their original form. Has your Digimon done that yet?

Also, I'd like to note that Digital World time seems faster then Real World time. Something along the lines of a 2:1 ratio, 2 minutes Digital for 1 minute Real. I'm not sure if that is a natural occurrence or not.

Signing off

~K.H. 'Nobie' Lai

Tiberius opened his Digivice, ready to respond to the e-mail which he read during lunch period at school. Quickly, the teen typed in his response.

_Digi-Destined, I see Nobie._

Digivolve? That's an interesting concept. My Digimon hasn't Digivolved yet. Maybe it was just luck of the draw. Maybe there's a trigger. I don't know. Hard to say. We'll have to analyze some more.

Digital World time? Hmm…DWT on my watch. Tentomon informed me that Digital World time and Real World time is supposed to be synchronized. If it is off right now, it might be one of the causes why Digi-Ports have been opening. A reason why we were chosen.

Third note, there is a fifth Digi-Destined. His name is Marc, a friend of Blitz (Tao, if you please). The three of us met yesterday, though not in the best of circumstances. Heh, maybe we'll see each other in the Digital World… Never know.

~Tiberius 'GTK' Hartz

Satisfied with his letter, Tiberius pushed the send button. The faint beep of confirmation arose, followed with the teenager closing his Digivice.

"If it is a 2:1 ratio, it would explain how long visits always seemed so short," Tiberius thought, sitting down at his computer. "I wonder how Blitz would react when I tell him this new turn of events," Tiberius thought, still used to calling his Internet Chat buddy by his ICQ nickname. He also told Blitz that he should inform Marc about the situation, since he didn't have Marc's e-mail address. Finally, the teenager from U.K. mailed Prism as well.

"Well, now that I got that done…" Tiberius thought, taking out a large textbook from his bag. "Homework beckons…" he added, sighing as he began to flip through the book.

* * * * * *

Marc sighed, typing in random gibberish on the computer he was sitting at in the library. He glanced to his right, where Tao was diligently typing away at his English assignment. In Marc's case, the teen had already finished the assignment.

Marc turned to face his left where another student was checking his e-mail. Despite the bad grammar, the e-mail was still readable

"What's that, Ioji?" Marc asked the part Japanese student. The classmate turned to Marc, taking a few seconds to realize Marc was asking about the e-mail.

"Oh, it's just a letter from a cousin in Japan," Ioji replied, beginning to compile a response. "She's going to come over next week, and since both my parents work, chances are, she'll be coming to DMCI."

"Oh? How long is she staying for?" Marc questioned, curious. He remembered on the news hearing about a monster attack in Japan at least 6 years ago, but he was young then. It was hard for the teenager to recall the events.

"About a week or two," Ioji responded, typing quickly. "Her English isn't very good, so she may have a hard time to adapt. Well, I'm going to try to teach her as much as possible when she gets here."

"Well, good luck then," Marc told the English student, taking his books. The bell rang promptly, allowing marc to head for his locker. Tao quickly collected his stuff and ran to catch up with his friend and Digi-Destined comrade.

"Japan? What did I hear about Japan?" he asked, turning the dial on his combination lock quickly.

"Ioji's cousin is coming from Japan in about a week, and will probably end up coming to school as well," Marc informed, replacing books in his locker.

"How coincidental," Tao mused, placing his Math textbook into his bag. "Shastina is going to Japan next Monday."

"She is?" Marc questioned, shutting his locker.

"Yeah. She told me over AIM last night," Tao answered, slamming his locker shut and zipping up his school bag. "She also pointed out the fact of Digivolving, as well as the fact that Tigramon followed her out of the Digital World."

"You're kidding me," Marc muttered, heading towards the front door, hoping to catch the bus before the line up got too big. "And what's this…Digivolving?"

"Something along the lines of the Digimon getting bigger, changing, getting stronger," Tao informed, getting his bus ticket ready. "It's weird, and the effects don't seem to be permanent either."

"Makes you wonder if our Digimon could do the same thing," Marc observed, the bus pulling up to the curb.

"Yeah…" Tao agreed, following his friend onto the bus.

* * * * * *

The time read 9:00 P.M. on Tiberius' watch. However, it didn't concern him, as he was studying for a test tomorrow.

"Y equals A bracket X minus P close bracket square plus Q," Lepumon read out loud, hanging from Tibbs shoulder. "What does that mean?" he asked, confused with the words and numbers and signs.

"It's the formula for a Parabola," Tiberius replied, turning the page. Lepumon was still confused, though he decided to let it go. He would never understand Human education.

"Hey, Tibbs, is your computer supposed to do that?" Lepumon asked next, turning to face the computer screen.

"Do what?" Tiberius asked, not removing his gaze from the textbook.

"Show the Digital World," Lepumon replied calmly.

"What?!" he exclaimed, dropping the math book and sliding over to the computer. As Lepumon said, the two familiar windows that represented the Digi-Port were on his computer.

"Told ya," Lepumon spoke cheerfully.

"Hmm…a beach…" Tiberius mused, examining the location the gate was opening to.

The waves splashed in and out with the sun glowing brightly above the land. A small cliff was facing the waves and beach, though untouched by the splashing water,

"Are we going?!" Lepumon asked excitedly. Tiberius nodded, taking his Digivice from his pocket.

"Then let's get to it," he spoke, the Digivice gathering energy yet again for another trip to the Digital World.

* * * * * *

Marc discarded his school bag, removing a few items from the bag beforehand. The DMCI student inserted a floppy into his disk drive once his computer passed the boot up sequence. In the meantime, he checked his e-mail using his Digivice, finding out he had none to read.

"Oh well, no one liked sending me e-mail anyway," he thought, closing the Digivice and clipping it to his belt. Marc moved his mouse around, copying the files from his floppy onto his hard drive. The disk drive blared loudly as it read the floppy. Marc sighed, turning around for a second and stretching his limbs. Once he completed that, he turned back around to face the computer.

On the screen was another Digi-Port waiting for him. He quickly examined the scene.

"At least I finished Bronze Cross," he told himself, taking his Digivice and placing it near the screen. "Let's go!"

* * * * * *

"You know…there's got to be a reason why Digi-Ports are opening," Tiberius spoke out loud. He sat down in the sand, waiting for something to happen. However, nothing was moving except for the waves, echoed by the splashing sound they made.

"The world is going to end?" Lepumon suggested, still perched on his partner's shoulder. There was a short giggle from Tiberius when he heard the answer.

"If the world was going to end, don't you think there would be a sign?" Tiberius asked, smiling. Lepumon smiled back, leaping off his shoulder.

"Well, the Digi-Destined are needed for something, we just need to figure what!" Lepumon continued, lying down on the sand. "But for now, let's just lie down and do nothing!" Tiberius grinned again, tickling the Digimon in the stomach. He got a very loud laugh as a reaction. "Stop…that!!" Lepumon protested, unable to contain his mad laughter.

"Are you two enjoying yourselves?" the voice asked. Both turned to face the source of the voice, relived to see only a dragon like Digimon speaking with them.

"How's it going Xemon?" Tiberius asked, standing up and wiping sand off his bottom.

"Just waiting for Marc…who should be appearing…now," Xemon replied. On cue, the teenager appeared in the Digital World, sort of molded by the air to fit a certain image before he was whole.

"Hey, you're right," Lepumon observed, surprised at the accuracy of the prediction. Marc quickly assessed the environment, noticing the other three occupants of the area.

"Um…did I miss something?" he asked, taking a step away from the water, nearly getting his boots soaked.

Tiberius examined Marc again. He didn't get a good look at him before. Now, there was plenty of time to do that.

The teenager wore black pants with a dark brown belt, and a blue shirt. He also was equipped with brown boots and white gloves.

"Sunny…isn't it…" Marc commented. He patted his pockets for something, before coming upon a pair of reflective shades. He put on the glasses, grinning. "Man, if I can get all this stuff in the Real world, that would be cool." Both Digimon giggled at the remark. "What?!"

"Nothing," both replied simultaneously. Tiberius shrugged.

"Did Tao tell you about the e-mail I sent him?" he asked. Marc blinked a few times in confusion, unsure what the other Digi-Destined meant.

"What e-mail?" he asked curiously.

"I guess not then…" Tiberius responded, explaining to the other teen everything he wrote in his e-mail.

"Well…that's an interesting turn of events…" Marc commented, leaning against the cliff side to avoid getting his bottom sandy.

"Think they can do it?" Tiberius asked, nudging his head towards their two Digimon who were playing like kids in the sand.

"We won't know until it happens, right?" Marc asked rhetorically, pushing off the cliff side. "Speaking of which, what do you think the purpose of this trip was?"

"Well, we haven't figured out the purpose of any of our trips so far," Tiberius assessed. "The only thing that's in common for each of our first visits was to get a Digivice and our Digimon. I don't think anyone knows what the purpose of these subsequent trips will be."

"Yeah, exce—?" Marc responded, cut off by the fact that the cliff wall beside him just exploded outwards, boulders flying everywhere, mostly landing in the water. Both teens jumped back in utter shock, their two Digimon stopping their play and rushing over to their partner's side.

"WHAT IS THAT?!" both teens shouted out. A centipede like Digimon shot out of the wall, however, there was a large drill implanted on his head, probably used to dig to the current location in the first place. Tiberius' Digivice started to go off, prompting the teen to grab the item. On the screen was a picture of the Digimon, his name, description, attack(s), and some sort of rank.

_Pedemon: Insect like Digimon who drills holes through the ground to search for food. Main attack: Drill Crush. A Champion level Digimon._

"So…is this what this Digimon is?" Tiberius asked, comparing the picture to the Digimon right in front of them. "Sure looks like it…" The teenager quickly scanned Lepumon.

_Lepumon: Rabbit like Digimon. Easily distinguished able with the large floppy like ears they have. Main attack: Solar Sparkler. A Rookie level Digimon._

"Um…Tiberius…whatever you got there…I suggest you hold it off for later, we got company," Marc suggested, stepping back a few feet. Pedemon advanced forward menacingly, reeling back for an attack.

"DRILL CRUSH!" The Digimon, like a slingshot, slammed into the ground, drill first, aiming directly for Xemon. The dragon like Digimon hardly had time to avoid, falling flat on his face when he leaped away.

"SOLAR SPARKLER!" Lepumon unleashed his attack onto the centipede. However, the beam of golden energy did little more then irritate the Digimon. Pedemon unleashed another Drill Crush attack, this time directed at the bunny.

"CYCLIC PUNCH!" The noxious gas smacked the centipede around, halting the attack and allowing for Lepumon to escape. Again, the attack did little more then irritate the Digimon, leading it to become even angrier. Pedemon stretched out of the hole he made, revealing his full body form to them. Both Rookie Digimon put themselves between the insect and their partners, poised to attack.

"SOLAR SPARKLER!" "CYCLIC PUNCH!"

Both Digimon unleashed their respective attacks, hitting the centipede dead on the body. Nevertheless, the attacks only humored the insect, before he fiercely whipped both of them out of his path with his long tail.

"Lepumon!" Tiberius shouted in, catching his flying companion in his arms. Lepumon cringed in pain, unfamiliar with absorbing such force for such a frail body.

Marc, on the other hand, was completely shocked with the events. Xemon skid to a halt in by his feet, as if he were a mere fly batted away by a fly swatter. The teenager knelt down, picking up the Digimon as if he were a wilted rose.

"Xemon…talk to me…" Marc whispered, getting a small groan as a response.

"I tried…" Xemon muttered, never feeling so much pain in one battle before. All from one hit. He glanced up, seeing the centipede ready to operate on Marc's brain. "Marc…get DOWN!" he shouted, with renewed energy. Both Digivice each teenager carried let loose a surge of energy, recharging both Digimon to their full potential and even more.

"Lepumon…" "Xemon…"

"Digivolve to…" both cried out, their forms changing quickly and rapidly. Pedemon wasn't concerned, his drill almost upon the Digi-Destined.

"Vormon!" Pedemon was stopped in his tracks, two large claws wrapped around the centipede's neck. Marc gaze went higher and higher until it finally met what he believed to be Xemon, except he looked nothing like Xemon.

The new Digimon had translucent light blue scales. You could make out the crimson veins that the scales revealed. Two majestic dragon wings stretched out of his back. The Digimon resembled something out of a medieval fantasy storybook, though the size of human. Nevertheless, he held the centipede in place quite nicely.

"Bukkomon!" Lepumon also transformed, revealing his dazzling new form. He stood on two legs, with two large red claws appearing from his front paws. Blue stripes were on his face and back. His two massive hind feet could potentially devastate the foe with a strong kick. Even the tail was fluffier then his previous form.

Vormon took the first attack his tail liquefying for some unknown reason.

"TYPOON PUNCH!" Though not really a punch, as the tail lashed out at the Centipede, knocking him to the ground in one blow. Pedemon growled in pain, quickly recovering from the attack.

"DRILL CRUSH!" He rushed for Bukkomon, outraged with the insult against him.

"ROCKET FLARE!" Bukkomon opened his mouth, golden energy flying out of it in the form of a rocket. Pedemon was knocked back by the attack, taken by surprise. If he could curse, he probably would curse for letting such an attack through. However, the barrage wasn't stopped.

"BEAM OF CONVERGENCE!" Vormon unleashed a spiral beam of fire and ice at Pedemon. Even if the two elements conflict, they still proved to be painful for the insect, as he cried out in pain from the combined attacks. Not wanting to feel anymore pain, the insect retreated back into the hole it made faster then it actually appeared.

"Phew…now that's over…" Vormon whispered, a blinding light engulfing him. In a matter of a few seconds, he was back to his previous form, as was Bukkomon, now Lepumon. Both partners lifted their respective Digimon, finally understanding the process known as Digivolving

"Well, I guess that explains that," Marc spoke, patting the Digimon lightly as he slept in his arms.

"I had a chance to analyze both Digimon before they changed back," Tiberius informed, Lepumon sleeping in his arms. "Both were classified as Champions."

"Well, don't that just beat all," Marc commented, taking his Digivice. His device began to react, as did the one Tiberius carried. "I guess…we're gone again, right?" he asked, though not getting an answer. Both disappeared in a puff of light.

* * * * * *

Tiberius, not surprised by the trips anymore, quickly placed Lepumon on the bed. The bunny snored lightly, sleeping peacefully after an exhausting battle.

"I guess I better report this to the other three," Tiberius thought, opening his Digivice once again. He began to compile another e-mail for the others to read.

* * * * * *

Marc held Xemon in his left arm, while taking some bandages from his first aid kit that he stashed away in his room. He was always prepared for occasions like this, and was grateful he could help Xemon's wounds.

"Marc…" Xemon whispered, still tired from his previous battle.

"Shh…don't talk…just rest a bit…you'll feel better," Marc told his Digimon. He was actually happy Xemon followed him out of the Digital World this time. He wouldn't be able to stand it if some evil Digimon attacked Xemon in the weakened state he was in.

Xemon was about to protest, but didn't have the strength to. He only nodded, closing his eyes.

"So…another journey completed, right?" Marc thought, facing his computer. "If the battles can get this deadly, what would the next ones be like?"

Fin

****

Completed: 11/23/00

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	8. Episode 08-Star Crossed

****

Star Crossed

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[TheoLeung@Sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

The Digital World didn't open for the five Digi-Destined for at few days. Each teenager was growing anxious for the next opening, especially Tao, whose Digimon partner was still in the Digital World. Despite that, the five were engrossed in an ICQ chat.

****

GTK: Blitz, CALM DOWN!

****

Nobie: Yeah, this isn't like you to get all pissed off.

****

Blitz: I AM calm.

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Toe: SUUUUUUUUUURE….

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Blitz: Shut up Marc.

****

Toe: Just trying to help. ^^

****

Prism: I don't think it's helping…

****

Blitz: …….

****

GTK: No, I definitely don't think it helped.

****

Nobie: What was your first clue?

****

Toe: Xemon would like to inform you that he believes that Harriermon will be okay.

****

GTK: Yeah, Lepumon says that too.

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Nobie: Well, I wouldn't know what Kinoumon is thinking, he busy scarfing down left over lunch.

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Prism: LOL

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Blitz: …

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Toe: Ligten up Tao.

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Blitz: …

****

Toe: Lighten*

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Prism: *Hugs Blitz*

****

Nobie: Ooooooohhh…we got some intimacy here.

****

Prism: *Blushes*

****

Blitz: *Shrgs*

****

Blitz: Shrugs*

****

Toe: Tao, honestly, you don't have to worry. I'm sure he'll be fine.

****

Blitz: Yeah, that easy for YOU to say!!

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GTK: Blitz, trust him. It's not like Pedemon is going to put a few holes into Harriermon like he was about to for me and Marc.

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Nobie: Or blasted by some giant sand turtle who laughs like Jabba the Hutt.

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Prism: *Giggl*

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Toe: ^^

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Prism: Oops…I mean, *Giggle*

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Blitz: Yeah…whatever… *Sulks in a corner*

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Prism: Hey, that's MY spot! *Cuddles up beside him*

****

GTK: Blitz…he'll be fine! Just don't upset Prism. =P

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Nobie: Yeah, you two should get together.

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Toe: Probably the best idea.

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Prism: *Blush*

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Blitz: Yeah…I guess…

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Toe: Haven't you two met in the Digital World yet?

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Prism: I wish!

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Blitz left the Chat

Prism: Hey, were did he go?!

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GTK: ? Blitz? Hello?

****

Nobie: *An echo follows G's voice*

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Toe: Probably a bit snit. It happens sometimes.

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GTK: Man, I GTG soon…it's almost 1:00 A.M.

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Nobie: It's a Friday!

****

Prism left the Chat

Toe: Okay…that was weird…

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GTK: Believe in duel bit snits?

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Nobie: Conspiracy Theory!

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GTK: Nobie, Nobie, Nobie. *Sigh*

* * * * * *

Tao blinked a few times, trying to figure out what just happened. The last thing he remembered was talking in that ICQ chat, before some windows opened up on his computer.

"They looked like windows…for a Digi-Port?" he thought, trying to input the memory in his mind. "Something like that…not sure…" he continued to think, glancing left and right. "Well, if this is the Digital World, then I can find Harriermon!" he exclaimed mentally. First, the teenager examined his surroundings.

The plains were very clear, with no trees and such around. The only thing that disturbed the serenity was a river, which Tao was currently standing beside.

His Digivice went off, alerting the teenager of another Digi-Destined present in the nearby vicinity.

"Wonder who it is…" he thought, following the trail given to him by his device.

* * * * * *

Shastina groaned in pain, taken by pure surprise with the opening of the gate. Tigramon lay on her head, where she was perched during the ICQ conversation, and still was now. The small feline like Digimon was also startled by the suddenness, nearly losing her lunch on top of her partner's head.

"That was a rough ride…" Shastina muttered, standing up. Tigramon remained balanced on her head, despite the dizziness. The teenager picked up the cat from her head, and held the Digimon in her arms.

"Could've been worse," Tigramon added, smiling lightly. Shastina nodded, taken aback when her Digivice started reacting. She quickly withdrew the item from her pocket, noting the two red dots on the screen.

"That must be the locator function Tiberius was talking about," Tigramon observed. Shastina nodded, seeing the device pointing somewhere downstream.

"Who do you think it will be?" Shastina asked, heading towards the other Digi-Destined general direction.

"I wouldn't know," she replied, yawning. "But we'll find out soon enough!"

* * * * * *

Harriermon flew high above the plains below, deep in thought. Gliding with the wind currents, he patrolled the area for no apparent reason.

His main concern was his partner, Tao, as well as the fact that all the other Digimon that belonged with the new Digi-Destined seemed to have vanished without a trace.

"Come on Tao…where did you go?" he muttered, glancing down. A slight glisten down below caught his attention. Curious, the eagle like Digimon dived down to get a better view.

* * * * * *

Shastina took a step back, Tigramon Digivolving into Toramon. Their opponent was a tree like Digimon.

"Why is it that the only tree in these flatlands had to get mad at us?" Shastina muttered, cursing her luck.

"I'm no tree!" the tree protested loudly, shaking his branches wildly. "The name is Doowmon, and for bothering me, I'm going to POUND you into the ground."

"Touchy, aren't we…" Toramon mocked, making the tree even angrier.

"TANGLE ROOT!" Doowmon's roots burrowed into the ground, popping up near the opposing Digimon.

"Youch!" Toramon yelped, leaping away from the flailing roots.

"SHUURAI!" Bolts of electricity flared up, smashing against the tree. Doowmon cried out in pain, though remained standing and withdrawing his roots from the ground.

"DENKOU CLAW!" Toramon leaped at the pile of bark, charging electricity into her claw and smashing more volts into the piece of wood. Even with the additional charge against the tree, the Digimon refused to go down.

"That's no punch! This is!" he hollered.

"WOOD SMASH!" Doowmon raised all his branches and brought them back down on the Tiger with such force that Toramon was smashed into the ground.

"Toramon!" Shastina shouted, running forward to determine how badly wounded her Digimon was.

"You're turn!" Doowmon exclaimed, stepping over the tiger before Shastina could reach her. He was winding up for another Wood Smash attack.

And hit thin air, Shastina disappearing from his attack.

* * * * * *

Tao rushed forward, tackling Shastina out of the way before that tree could make a human pancake out of her. Doowmon glanced left and right, unable to comprehend what just happened. Finally, his gaze set down on the two humans.

"Hey Shas, nice to meet you finally, though I wish the circumstances were better," Tao quickly babbled, jumping to his feet. He identified the only female Digi-Destined on the team quickly.

"Oh my GOD! TAO!?" she exclaimed, glee overcoming her fear and anger of Doowmon.

"That's my name, but we should worried about other stuff right now…" he replied softly, standing protectively between the tree and his 'girlfriend'.

"Tao…Toramon is…" Shastina told her 'boyfriend', but was cut off by Tao.

"I know, I saw," he replied softly. Doowmon advanced towards them.

"RUSHING WIND!" The wind attack came out of nowhere, impacting with such force that the tree was uprooted. Harriermon flew past, hovering between the two Human's and the Digimon.

"Oh, you'll PAY for that!" Doowmon shouted angrily, running forward as fast as his roots would allow him.

"Get back!" Harriermon told the two humans, flying forward at top speed.

"GALE WING!" Harriermon's speed increased ten fold, ready to cut a hole right through that bark.

"WOOD SMASH!" Harriermon was knocked right out of his attack, crashing head on into the tree's attack. The bird fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

"Harriermon!" his partner exclaimed, Tao quickly scooping the bird up and cradling the Digimon in his arms like a child. "You okay?" he asked, concerned.

"Could be better…but…eh…I'll survive…" Harriermon replied weakly. The bird gazed up, seeing Doowmon preparing to finish his human companion off. "Get…DOWN!" Harriermon shouted with renewed vigour, Tao's Digivice gaining energy and preparing for a Digivolve.

"Harriermon…Digivolve to…"

The eagle quickly got bigger Shastina noticed, who was now tending to wounds of Toramon who Doowmon forgot to finish off when Harriermon came. The bird grew in size, forcing Doowmon to retreat a few steps. Finally, Harriermon achieved his full Digivolved size, the feathers on the tips of his wings going crimson.

"Haeromon!"

"Hah, don't think that getting bigger will save you!" Doowmon shouted out, Haeromon taking to the air.

"SONIC WING!" Haeromon rushed the tree again, similar to Harriermon's Gale Wing attack, except in this occasion, the Digimon was much bigger.

"WOOD SMASH!" Doowmon tried again, but failed miserably, losing his branches as Haeromon tore through his body. He cried out in pain, and this time, there was no doubt it mind that it didn't hurt.

"CRIMSON STORM!" Haeromon flew high up again, firing down his crimson tipped feathers at the wood. The feathers lodged into the soft bark, before detonating in a brilliant display of explosives, knocking the tree down and out. Haeromon, satisfied with the work done, returned to his previous form. Tao caught the falling bird, too tired to flap his wings anymore. Toramon also returned to her previous form. Shastina cradled Tigramon in her arms, though the feline was disappointed with her performance.

"I wish I did more," she spoke softly to her human companion.

"Don't worry about it, we're okay, right?" Shastina reconciled. Tigramon nodded, laying her head against the female's chest. "Thanks for the save Tao."

"Nah, don't thank me, thank Harriermon," the Canadian teen responded, patting the bird on the head.

"Yeah, well…th—Look out!" Shastina cried out when she turned to face the boy. Doowmon was back up, ready to snap Tao like a twig with another Wood Smash attack.

"SONIC SWORD!" A green blast of energy appeared from nowhere, cutting right through the tree. Tao turned around, seeing the state that the Digimon was in. Doowmon was struggling to maintain his form, falling in half and disappearing in a puff of digital smoke, never to be seen again.

"Are you okay?" the voice asked, clear and precise. Both teens glanced up to see who their savior was.

"Yeah…thanks to you," Tao responded first.

The person or Digimon bowed his head, with clearly humanoid feature. Tall, black hair, sapphire eyes, and charcoal like armour. He carried a well crafted blade in his hand, probably the source for his attack.

"My name is Drowsmon, and I assume you two are part of the new Digi-Destined?" he asked, sheathing his sword.

"Yes, we are," Tao responded. Shastina remained oddly quiet for such a time. "You know of us?"

"In fact, we do," he responded, taking a step towards them. "I am one of the two generals appointed by our group."

"Your group?" came the next question from the teenage boy.

"A group trying to save the Digital World," Drowsmon continued. "We know of the problems the Digital World faces, and would like the assistance of the Digi-Destined. Our leader believes it to be mutually beneficial if we help each other attain our goal. Of course tracking your group down in the Digital World becomes a difficult task if you constantly fly between this world and your own."

"Well, it is a little out of our control," Tao answered, glancing over at Shastina. The female was staring strangely at the new Digimon, specifically the sword that he wore. "I don't suppose you could inform us of the cause of disturbance in the Digi-World, can you?"

"That right is reserved for my leader. It is his wishes to inform you personally about the conditions of the world."

"The offer is appealing, but…" Tao spoke, knowing his Digivice would be going off any second now. "Our time seems short now. I am not sure when and where we may appear next. We can only hope." On cue, his Digivice began to accumulate energy, beginning to process of returning to the Real World.

"I see…" Drowsmon mused, rubbing his chin in an act of intelligence. "Fare thee well." Tao nodded, though Shastina continued to remain motionless. Blinding light engulfed the area, transporting the two back to their respective locations in the Real World.

* * * * * *

Tao placed Harriermon onto his bed slowly, hoping not to damage the bird anymore. Once Tao saw the bird was comfortable and resting peacefully, he activated his Digivice, opening it and beginning to write and e-mail to inform everyone else about the turn of events.

However, one event remained clear in his mind: the state that Shastina was in when Drowsmon revealed himself. She seemed zoned out, as if obsessed with the blade that Digimon carried.

"It was as if she saw a nightmare come true…" Tao spoke aloud.

* * * * * *

Shastina still remained in her shocked state. Tigramon slept peacefully in her arms, still ignorant of the previous encounter.

"Sonic Sword…"

Those two words kept recurring in her mind over and over again.

"That boy…with a crimson vest…died…to a Sonic Sword…"

"What could it mean?!" she shouted in her mind, trying to piece two and two together. It was becoming increasingly difficult.

"Wait…Tao was…wearing…a red vest…" she realized, nearly breaking down into tears.

"Oh god…it can't be him in that dream…" she sobbed, setting Tigramon down on her bed before heading to the kitchen to get some Kleenex.

"It's can be…him…can it?"

"Calm down Shas…it's only a dream…" the teen told herself. "Dreams don't come true."

"Besides…it was nice to finally meet him…" she continued to think, smiling at the thought.

"Yeah, it was nice…" she spoke, softly. She grabbed some tissue from the box, telling her father that she wasn't crying and only needed tissue for something else.

"I can't wait until we meet again…love."

Fin

****

Completed: 11/23/00

   [1]: mailto:TheoLeung@Sprint.ca



	9. Episode 09-Open Threat

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Open Threat

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[TheoLeung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

Tao blinked a few times, attempting to figure out his bearings in the Digital World. Harriermon was perched on his shoulder, fully recovered from the last battle.

"Well, this is a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon…" Tao said, Harriermon nodding in agreement. The teenager quickly disassembled the clarinet he was playing before the Digital World decided to summon him.

"I wish they would try something else instead of this…" Tao complained, placing the musical instrument pieces in a pouch he carried. The inside of the pouch was protected by sponge, so the pieces wouldn't crack with travel. "Now I know how those summoned monsters in the Final Fantasy games feel…"

"Pardon?" Harriermon asked, attempting to infer what his partner meant by the previous comment. "Final what?"

"Nothing, I didn't mean anything," Tao responded, taking his Digivice. The item in his hand failed to go off, revealing no other Digi-Destined in the vicinity.

"You play that instrument of yours well," Harriermon commented, embarrassing Tao a bit.

"No, my playing sucks," he quickly responded, patting the small pouch on his belt to make sure it was safe. "I'm not a very good musician."

"Well, I believe you are," Harriermon countered, remaining on the teens shoulder.

"Thanks, but I'm not really that good…" Tao stammered, trying to convince the Digimon otherwise.

"We could argue about this all day you know," Harriermon added.

"Oh well. Let's argue all day then," Tao spoke, walking in a random direction of the clearly flat land.

"Let's…" Harriermon continued, though falling silent as the pair began to travel.

* * * * * *

"Well, so much for an afternoon off from the Digital World," Tiberius told Lepumon, checking his Digivice for the presence of other Digi-Destined.

"And it seems like we're on our own this time," Lepumon added, noticing how the Digivice didn't go off.

"You observe well my friend," Tiberius replied, clipping the Digivice back onto his belt. "At least now we get a chance to run into Drowsmon. I'm curious about what he has to say."

"You mean about the threat against the Digital World?" Lepumon questioned, though the answer was quite clear. Tiberius nodded anyway, glancing around his surroundings, trying to figure out which way to go.

"North, south east, or west?" Lepumon asked.

"Or maybe Northwest, or northeast, or southwest, or southeast," Tiberius asked next, not answering the previous question.

"How about north northwest, north northeast, south southw—?"

"I get the point Lepumon," Tiberius interrupted, sighing. "Let's just pick a direction and go."

"Good enough for me," Lepumon agreed.

* * * * * *

"Hey Marc, I don't think we're in Toronto anymore," Xemon commented, tugging on the teen's shirt.

"What was your first clue?" Marc asked sarcastically, pulling out his shades from his pocket. "The fact that we're here, or the fact that the Digi-Port opened on my computer?"

"Um…both," the Digimon replied after much deliberation, smiling. Marc giggled a bit, trying to locate anyone else on his Digivice. Nothing was on his screen. "Well, it doesn't seem like anyone else came this time."

"Well, then we're on our own!" Xemon exclaimed, analyzing the environment. "Which way do you want to go?"

"Pick a random direction? Nah, I'd like to try something a little less…random…," Marc mused, thinking about the direction to head. Xemon waited as patiently as his patience would let him.

"Okay, times up! I say we go, that way!" he shouted, dashing in a direction of his liking.

"Hey, wait…!" Marc shouted, chasing after his dragon like Digimon.

* * * * * *

"The Digi-World beckons again," K.H. spoke under his breath. He already knew no other Digi-Destined was nearby. His Digivice failed to beep, which it usually does when the locator function is activated.

"No one else is in the area," Kinoumon informed his partner after glancing at the Digivice. K.H. didn't respond, the soft wind blowing through his hair. "K.H., what do you plan to do now?" The teenager remained silent, unsure himself of the answer.

"Just look around? See what comes up?" K.H. suggested, unable to manufacture another idea. Kinoumon nodded, happy with the thought. "Let's go then," K.H. spoke, heading towards the sun.

* * * * * *

"Hey Shas, do you have any clue where you are going?" Tigramon asked her partner.

"I don't have the slightest clue," Shastina answered for possibly the millionth time. Tigramon stopped her ruthless questioning, growing bored of making the Californian teenager frustrated. Shastina was pretty good at containing her anger, not even being fazed when the feline asked the question again just now.

"Shas, what's wrong?" Tigramon asked, her cloak of childishness turning to an aura of seriousness. "You were pretty quiet since last Friday,"

"It's nothing…" Shastina replied unconvincingly. "Nothing at all…" she repeated.

"Shastina…" Tigramon muttered, unsure of what to say to release the binds of depression surrounding her partner.

"Huh…what's that?" Tigramon asked, hearing a faint sound. At first, Shastina ignored her, but soon, the teenager began to hear the faint music as well.

"It's…a…musical instrument?" she thought, trying to identify the source. Her Digivice promptly went off, giving the location of the another Digi-Destined. She quickly followed the signal to its origin, hoping it was him.

* * * * * *

Tao sat back, blowing lightly into his Clarinet. His fingers went up and down the register of the Clarinet, pressing and depressing keys quickly to form music.

The teenager lay flatly against a hill, playing his Clarinet with nothing else to do. Harriermon stood by, eyes closed, enjoying the serenity of the music.

"You play well," Harriermon commented again, keeping his eyes shut. Tao ignored the eagle and continued to play the piece.

"You play very well," a new voice added, making both jump to their feet, ready to fight. "If I actually intended on killing you, you would already be dead," the voice continued.

The source of the new voice belonged to another Digimon, and like Drowsmon, extremely humanoid. He wore full body crimson armour, minus a helmet. His features included blond hair and crimson eyes. He also carried a weapon, though completely dissimilar from the weapon Drowsmon carried. There was a double-sided axe head, attached to a shaft the size of a spear. On the other end of the shaft was another double-sided axe head, a weapon unfamiliar to Tao.

"I guess I should introduce myself," he spoke. "My name is Axeramon. You must be Tao and Harriermon. Drowsmon told me about you two." The Digimon bowed.

"What do you want?" Tao questioned suspiciously.

"Oh, my…our leader has requested that the five Digi-Destined be brought to his home to be briefed about the current situation in the Digital World," Axeramon replied. "Three of your comrades have already been collected. I would appreciate it if you followed me to his humble abode." Tao remained silent, deliberating what to do.

Axeramon glanced up, noticing two others at the top of the hill. Shastina and Tigramon stood at the top, finding the person that the Digivice located.

"Tao!" she shouted, running down the hill and standing beside the other teenager. Tigramon followed, though not sure if this Digimon was friend or foe.

"Well, this ends our search then," Axeramon commented, turning around. "If you wish to know, then you may follow me."

There was silence as the Digimon began to walk away, slowly, allowing time for the two Humans and their Digimon to follow.

"I say we follow him," Harriermon told them. Tao nodded in agreement, quickly explaining everything to Shastina and her Digimon. She was hesitant to follow the human like Digimon, but agreed if Tao was determined to go as well.

"The Digital World isn't getting any younger." Tigramon shouted, rushing up front. "Let's go!"

* * * * * *

The multiple pair of footsteps echoed throughout the empty hallway. Despite the poorly lit corridor, the two Digi-Destined and their Digimon had a clear view of where they were heading as they followed Axeramon. The main hallway of the mansion that inhabited the a small section of the Digital World was long and empty. Feelings of loneliness and emptiness entered the hearts of the guests.

"This is so strange…" Shastina whispered to Tao, clutching his hand tightly.

"Better strange then deadly…" Tao replied, keeping a wary eye for anything threatening. Shastina nodded in agreement, glancing down at the pouch that held the boy's musical instrument.

"You play really nicely…" she told the boy. Tao gazed oddly at her, blushing slightly and then turning away.

"No…not at all…" he stammered. "I don't play that well…"

"He does," Harriermon informed Tigramon. The small feline concurred.

"Ahem…" Axeramon interrupted, standing by a door at the end of the hallway. "The Lord awaits." 

Both teenagers nodded, opening the double doors and entering.

* * * * * *

The five Digi-Destined were seated across a long, wooden table. Shastina and Tao entered last, taking their places at the table, which was coincidentally together. Whether it was fixed to be like that or not was a mystery no one wished to solve at the moment.

The fact that surprised the two newcomers was who sat at the other end of the table. The leader of this 'organization'. He was similar to his two generals, except he wore white armour. His long blond hair was tied back in a ponytail. His emerald eyes examined each Digi-Destined one at a time. There was also just the tiny little detail that the leader had angel wings.

"Well, now that we are all assembled," the Angel started, standing up from his seat. "My name is Serangmon," he introduced, bowing his head. "I already know of the five of you. I knew you would be coming, and that is why I have invited you."

"To explain the cause of…us…so to say…" Tiberius spoke out. Like the other four around him, he was curious about their purpose in the Digital World.

"Yes, as stated, the Digi-Destined will appear to save the Digital World," Serangmon reintegrated, stretching out his angel wings. K.H. noticed the twin rapiers the Angel kept on his belt. "And I believe you all wish to know the cause of such a disturbance." Each Digi-Destined slowly nodded, as did their Digimon.

"To put it bluntly, the Digital World is falling apart." There were confused glances amongst the five. Tiberius was about to question, but was cut off by the angel. "Allow me to finish, please." Tiberius nodded, closing his mouth.

"Energy is being sucked from the Digital World by some unknown source. With the lack of energy, the Digital World can not support its own form. Slowly and surely, the Digital World will be deleted, ceasing to exist, unless the energy drain is stopped."

"And how do you propose we do that?" K.H. asked, disregarding Serangmon's previous request.

"Unless we find the source of this energy drain, the only other solution I can tink of is to merge the Digital World with the Real World."

"WHAT!?" four of the five Digi-Destined exclaimed at once. That solution just seemed absurd, merging two worlds together.

"Yes. Your world seems to have an infinite natural energy supply." Serangmon continued. "This energy drain will continue when the worlds merge, but it will not affect anything," 

"But…how would you do that?" Shastina asked, calming down.

"The Digital World is molded after the Real World, similar in some aspects yet different in others," Serangmon answered. "Still, since the two are basically the same, the process of moving the Digital World to the Real World is possible, albeit slow."

"So, what does this have to do with us?" Marc questioned.

"As stated before, the process will be slow. However, with your assistance, there is a way to speed up the process." Serangmon clicked on some invisible button, showing a 3-D map of the Digital World and the Real World floating atop the table. "Setting up a few 'transfer points' around your location allows the merger program to find which location in the Digital World belongs with which location in the Real World. Normally, the merger program would have to search the entire Real World for a match. The Transfer Points would send data resembling the area it was set up and inform my merger program which Digital World area to send."

"This just sounds too farfetched…" Marc commented, noticing small areas of land from the Digital World globe move over and over lay the Real World. "What would happen to the Real World?"

"Allow me to answer that…" Tiberius spoke, standing up. Serangmon nodded, knowing how fast this child could assess situations. "The Digital World will merge with the Real World. That means, this Digital-Real world will gain characteristics of both sides. Possibly less pollution then what we have now, since the Digital World doesn't seem to be tainted with such disasters."

"However, also note an increase in population, as now we have both the Human and Digimon population to tend to."

"Counter point-We are given a better environment, plus there may be certain flora and other such medical treatments only possible in the Digital World, which would then be accessible in the Real World."

"But, no one ever said Humans and Digimon would ever get along."

"In other words, if we merge, we could either end up better or worse…" K.H. observed, concluding for his friend. Tiberius nodded, taking his seat.

"It's a roll of the dice…" Tao whispered to no one in particular but loud enough for everyone to hear. He remained mostly silent throughout the briefing. Silence engulfed the room once again, Serangmon waiting for a response. "This is a big decision…I can't afford to decide yet," Tao continued, standing up. "I'm sorry, but I can not commit an answer yet." Each of the other Digi-Destined nodded in agreement.

"Give us a bit of time, and we will decide then," K.H. compromised. Serangmon, though saddened by the answer, agreed with the terms.

"When you are ready to answer, you know where to find this location," he told them. Slowly, each teenager filed out with their Digimon.

* * * * * *

The group of ten walked slowly and silently out of the mansion. After about half an hour of walking, someone finally decided to speak.

"At least we got to meet each other," Shastina spoke. "It's nice to know who our 'co-workers' will be." Introductions were swapped between those who didn't know others, and soon, everyone was back in a more cheerful mood.

"I hate to burst everyone's bubble, but what do you all think about this merger?" Kinoumon asked. Everyone stopped, thinking about the answer.

"This could change all our lives forever," Lepumon added. "Something to really think about."

"Like I said before…we need some time," Tao replied first, glancing up at the sky. "To be perfectly honest with you, I wouldn't want to see this world fall apart."

"But we don't even know how credible that Digimon's story is," Shastina countered.

"His name is Serangmon," K.H. informed, checking his watch. "But if the energy loss is causing time to go faster, then I'm willing to believe it."

"Faster time usually means more energy though," Tiberius inferred. "If there is a lack of energy, then time should be slowing down."

"Listen, I say you listen to your own advice," Xemon told them, cutting into the conversation. "Go sleep on it. Get an answer which you all can agree on in about three days." Each Digi-Destined exchanged looks, seeing the reasoning behind that. The Digital World can wait six days.

* * * * * *

"They didn't agree as quickly as you thought," Drowsmon told his leader.

"You should've just killed them" Axeramon agreed.

"Patience," Serangmon spoke. "Killing them would only make the merger go slower. Besides, we know what our intentions are. Maybe they will see it our way soon."

"And the merger program?" Axeramon asked.

"Activate it," Serangmon answered. "It may help change their minds."

"If it doesn't?" Drowsmon questioned cautiously.

"Well, then they will get stronger, maybe strong enough to truly save the Digital World."

Fin

****

Completed: 11/26/00

   [1]: mailto:TheoLeung@sprint.ca



	10. Episode 10-Glimmering Light

****

Glimmering Light

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[TheoLeung@Sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

Shastina yawned, exhausted after the long flight from California to Japan. She winced when she checked the time, seeing how early it was at the current location.

"Well, these watches have some use," she thought, switching to the new time zone. The teenager promised the others she would mail her answer of the merger, since she probably have access to the Digital World.

Her main concern was for Tigramon, who she left behind in the Digital World. She probably wouldn't be able to smuggle a cat through customs anyway. Shastina could only hope her Digimon partner was okay in the Digital World.

"Don't worry, I'll stick close with Gatomon," Tigramon told Shastina before they separated. "She'll keep me company." Though not the best thing Shastina wanted to hear, it would have to do.

"And it's 4 in the morning…Tuesday morning…" Shastina whimpered, having to adapt to a new time zone. She collected her items from the overhead compartment and headed for the exit of the plane.

* * * * * *

"English…" Tao muttuered, sighing at the end of his one word sentence.

"Yeah, except you get to meet Ioji's cousin," Marc replied, entering the room with Tao.

"I do?" Tao asked, wondering how Marc figured that out.

"Ioji's cousin is here, and she's following Ioji around," Marc informed his companion, sitting down at his desk. "I met her in Math Class."

"What's she like?" Tao asked. "Or you didn't understand anything she was saying?"

"Well…you'll see…" Marc spoke softly, laying his head on his table while waiting for class to start.

"Have you decided anything on the merger?" Tao asked. Marc shook his head. "Neither did I."

"You can't make a decision like that in 12 hours. We need more time to think," Marc replied, though he didn't need to explain it to Tao again. Both students glanced up, seeing the teacher was here and was going to introduce the new temporary Japanese student to the class.

Ioji's cousin was about average height, with shoulder length orange hair and faint red eyes. She wore blue jeans with the pants legs rolled up slightly and a belt around her waist. She also wore a yellow long sleeve shirt. In her gloved hands was a blue helmet like item. She was definitely older then the students in this class, possibly a university student.

"Class, in case you don't' know yet, this is Ioji's cousin from Japan."

"Atashi wa Takenouchi Sora," she introduced in fluent Japanese, which no one understood except for two people. Confused murmurs spread around the room.

"She said her name was Sora Takenouchi," Tao repeated, getting a crowd of students going 'ahh…' followed by a couple wondering how the heck Tao knew that. Even Tao asked himself that.

"You understand what she's saying too?" Marc whispered to his Digi-Destined companion.

"You mean…you--" Tao asked, though cut off by Marc. He nodded his answer, glancing back up to Sora, who took a seat behind him. Ioji's seat was behind Tao's, so it made sense to keep the two relatives together.

"I never knew you understood Japanese," Ioji told Tao in a Japanese so his cousin could understand.

"I never knew either," Tao responded in English, though it seemed like Sora understood what he just said. "This is going to be a very interesting class…" Tao thought, facing back towards the front of the class.

* * * * * *

"That was so weird man…" Tao spoke. Both Marc and Tao were waiting for the bus to arrive, as was a clump of other students.

"What? The English assignment we got today?" Marc casually responded, curling up in his jacket. Snow was scattered in various on the ground, magnified by the bitter wind left a sense of freezing cold for those that were around.

"No, of course not THAT," Tao replied sharply. "You know, her."

"Can't take a joke, can you?" Marc muttered. "Yeah, I know what you're talking about. Strange, yes, but at the same time, it's pretty cool."

"Kind of…kind of not…" Tao spoke softly, glancing up at the bus that just arrived. "Sora…Sora…Sora…where have I heard that name before?" he thought, stepping onto the bus. "Where?"

* * * * * *

Shastina yawned loudly, but no one was paying attention to her. Introductions went around the crowd of students who applied for the program. Albeit a small group, each and every one of them were ready to explore

"Shastina Lawson…Age 14…Covina, California, attends Northview High School," the counselor spoke out. Shastina acknowledged herself before the man in charge continued down the list of applicants.

"Flight #402 leaving for London, England, is about to depart at gate 42b," the voice over the intercom said, getting the teenagers attention.

"What did it say?" a girl beside her asked. Shastina repeated what the intercom spoke. "Wow, you know your Japanese well."

"That was in Japanese?" Shastina thought, remembering she clearly heard it in English. "Oh, I promised Tao I'd e-mail him once I got here," she reminded herself. Her hand fell onto her Digivice in her pocket, though she didn't want to bring it out in such a public place.

"I guess I'll have to wait a bit…" she muttered, releasing her hold on the device.

* * * * * *

_Hey Tao_

How's it going? It's Tuesday morning when I write this…I think about 10:00 A.M. some. That translates into about…8:00 P.M. your time? Anyway, sorry about the late reply. I didn't have access with my Digivice in a private area up until now.

Hope everything is doing okay.

Of course it's strange how I know what everyone over here is talking about.

Oh, someone is coming. Sory, GTG.

Bye!

~Shas

Shastina quickly closed the Digivice and pocketed it, cursing silently for making that last error on 'Sorry'.

The hotel room she shared was small, but was enough for accommodations. The curtains were closed, refusing to let sunlight in, which Shastina was happy for, since she needed the short nap anyway. She laid her head on the pillow, closed her eyes, and drowsed off.

* * * * * *

Tao closed the e-mail that Shastina sent him. The teenager quickly inputted his reply, telling her about his own experience with Japanese, before signing off. His ICQ was on, but the only other Digi-Destined on-line at the moment was Marc.

"What'd the e-mail say?" Marc asked through ICQ.

"Oh, just that Shas can understand a lot of Japanese too," Tao typed quickly and hit the send button.

"Is this a Digi-Destined thing?" Marc asked in his next message. Tao answered with his typical '…' with a '*Shrug*' at the end of the message.

"Oh well, maybe the answer will come soon," Marc responded. "You said you were going to help me with this Star Wars fic…"

"Yeah…yeah…hold on…" Tao 'muttered' in his message, searching for a file on his computer.

* * * * * *

Shastina blinked once, staring out the window of the room she was assigned too. The view was nice, with a look at the shore nearby. Nevertheless, Shastina wished she could be with one person right now, and since they met in the Digital World, her faith in that boy rose.

"Hey…is that smoke?" Shastina asked out loud, squinting her eyes to get a better view through the sunlight.

Her roommate burst into the room, causing Shastina to jump in shock.

"Check out the news!" she shouted, grabbing a remote control and turning on the TV. The channels flew by quickly, before stopping on a local news station which Shastina understood crystal clear.

"…attack on the city," the reporter continued when the volume was turned up. "Three monsters have begun attacking each other, wrecking the city as they continue to battle. However, the two cat like monsters seem to be losing against the reptile." The picture changed as the camera tried to get a better frame for the attack.

Shastina eyes widened, seeing both Gatomon and Tigramon fending off a large, emerald lizard-like Digimon.

"This is similar to the attacks witnessed over seven years ago. Any link between those attacks and the one now is still debatable."

"Is this a movie?" Shastina's roommate asked, completely ignorant of what the reporter just spoke. "Shas? Do you know?"

"I got to go!" Shastina exclaimed, dashing out the door.

"Huh? What?" her dumbfounded roommate asked, blinking in confusion.

* * * * * *

"We aren't scratching Doramon…" Tigramon told Gatomon, panting heavily. The two Digimon were tiring out against the large emerald lizard. Gatomon gave her feline companion a sour look.

"You think I haven't noticed that?" she snapped, readying for another attack.

"EMERALD FLAME!" Doramon let lose a storm of fire. The flamethrower like blast spread out towards the two, singeing their hair. Both felines leaped out of the way, reeling back to attack.

"LIGHTNING CLAW!" "SILVER FANG!"

The two attacks failed to do anything but mildly amuse the lizard Digimon. His tail lashed out, knocking both felines against the side of a building.

"Ouch…I don't remember a building being here…" Tigramon muttered, peeling herself off the wall.

"It wasn't…" Gatomon responded. She glanced up, trying to familiarize herself with the apparently new scenery. "It looks familiar though…"

"Tigramon!!" Shastina's voice rang out. All three Digimon glanced up at the teenage girl rushing towards the battle site.

"FLAME SHOT!" The crimson fireball made a b-line right towards the human.

"Shas!!" Tigramon shouted out, leaping towards the girl.

"Tigramon…Digivolve to…"

"Toramon!" The large tiger like Digimon leaped right in front of the blast, absorbing the entire impact and protecting her partner from harm.

"TORAMON!!" Shastina shouted out as the tiger collapsed by her feet. "Why…?" she asked, patting the tiger on the neck. Her white fur was burnt black by the attack.

"Because…" Toramon replied, grinning. She slowly clambered back to her feet, ready to absorb more for her friend.

"Toramon…please…you're in no condition to fight…" Shastina pleaded. The tiger shook her head, advancing on the lizard. Gatomon ran up to the tiger's side, supporting the injured feline as she was going to fall.

"You should take her advice…" Gatomon suggested. Doramon advanced on the two.

"Maybe…but I still have to protect Shastina…" Toramon answered, coughing. Shastina, unable to believe her friend would try something so suicidal, placed herself between the tiger and the lizard.

"Shas…" Toramon whispered, collapsing again. Doramon prepared to unleash another Emerald Flame attack.

"Gatomon, Digivolve!!" another voice screamed out. Shastina quickly turned around to see anther teenage girl nearby. She held a pink Digivice in her hand, though one of different model from Shastina's. A boy about her age stood beside her, gripping a Digivice of his own, but apparently there was no one who could Digivolve from it.

"Gatomon…Digivolve to…Angewomon!"

Radiant light surrounded the scene, an angel revealing herself to battle the lizard.

"CELSTIAL ARROW!" Angewomon unleashed the holy arrow at the lizard, embedding itself against the scales of the reptile. Doramon screamed out in pain. Angered and ready to toast that puny girl in front of him that was blocking the tiger.

"FLAME SHOT!" Again the crimson fireball lashed out against the girl. Toramon, gathering her strength, leaped over Shastina and collided with the attack.

"NOOOOOOO!" Shastina cried out, Toramon falling to the ground. The teen kneeled down beside the tiger, careful not to touch her wounds. "Toramon…you crazy…why?"

"I got to protect you…right?" she whispered, licking Shastina's cheek. Tears began to flow from Shastina.

"Toramon…" Shastina whispered sadly, before her Digivice began to react with some unknown source. The teen removed the device from her pocket, the ground nearby erupting in an explosion. A small tile floated in the air with a symbol embedded on it. Shastina wasn't sure what it was, but the other two teenagers sure did.

"It's…the Crest of Light?" the girl spoke. Her Digivice began to react. A beam of white light surged from it. The beam smashed into the tile, before entering into Shastina's Digivice. The same symbol was now on her device.

"But…what does it mean?" Shastina asked out loud, glancing back at the other two teens.

"Digivolve to the next level!!" the teenage boy shouted. Shastina wasn't sure how, but nodded.

"Toramon, please…" she spoke softly, giving a silent prayer. Light engulfed the Digimon, re-energizing her with energy.

"Toramon…Digivolve to…"

Energy sparkled and surrounded the tiger. Toramon slowly grew taller and thinner, falling onto two feet. She seemed to change into something more humanoid, long hair flowing and with wings. The light subsided, revealing the new form.

"Siberimon!" The new Digimon was human, having long silver hair with black streaks. Her attire consisted of white robes that hanged on her body and a ruby tiara on her head. Small white angel wings were on her back. Though human, other features distinguished her, like her feline ears and tail.

"Another…angel?" the Japanese girl stammered, unbelieving. Siberimon blinked, her sapphire eyes falling onto the confused Doramon. The lizard finally realized what happened and opened fire.

"EMERALD FLAME!" The green flame jetted out towards the tiger-angel and her partner.

Siberimon grabbed Shastina, and leapt into the air, evading the flaming attack completely.

"CELESTIAL ARROW!" The next arrow pierced deeper into the lizard, stunning him. Siberimon landed back on the ground, releasing the girl and ready to attack.

"HOLY DAGEKI!" Holy energy charged into the feline human's hands, forming a white sphere of power. Doramon shook his head, recovering from the previous shocks, before realizing the situation he was in.

The energy blasted from Siberimon's hands and smashed right against the lizard. There was no cry of pain, only the disintegration of the Digimon into billions of bits of data. Completed, both angel Digimon turned back to their feline like forms, exhausted. Shastina collected the unconscious Tigramon into her arms, petting her softly. Gatomon, not as tired or beaten, leaped into the arms of the other female teenager, the two giggling loudly.

"You're…a Digi-Destined as well?" the boy asked, approaching Shastina. Gatomon and her partner quieted down and walked towards her as well.

"She is one of the five new Digi-Destined," Gatomon explained. "Kari, T.K., this is Shastina. Shastina, this is T.K., who holds the Crest of Hope; and Kari, my partner who holds the Crest of Light."

"Used to," Kari corrected. "I think there's some explaining to do…"

Fin

****

Completed: 11/29/00

****

Additional Notes:

Um…not much to say (aside form the fact this fic feels very corny. Oh well.). As for the Japanese quote from Sora, I'm not sure if that's right or not, but that's what a classmate tells me. If it's right, thanks David! =)

   [1]: mailto:TheoLeung@Sprint.ca



	11. Episode 11-Heart

****

Heart

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

"SONIC WING!"

The surge of wind energy blasted the opposing Digimon, failing to penetrate its tough hide. The massive dinosaur roared out in frustration, unable to hit his targets.

"BEAM OF CONVERGENCE!"

Vormon erupted with his attack, splashing the Digimon with the combined elements of fire and ice. The attack proved ineffective.

"Metal Tyramon? Nice name…" Marc commented, holding his Digivice tightly. The dinosaur was similar to his previous form, however, he had two cannons on his shoulder, with metal armour surrounding his legs and his body. He was also equipped with a bionic eye, giving him tremendous accuracy with the cannons.

"RAPID BLAST!"

Metal Tyramon unleashed a fury of blasts at the aerial target. Explosives flared across the sky, Haeromon tried his best to evade the attacks. Nevertheless, with the amount of ammunition expended, one or two shots of the powerful attack were bound to hit.

Haeromon cried out, diving low to avoid more attacks, but was definitely weakened from the prior attack. Metal Tyramon diverted his attention to another target.

Tao held Biyomon in his arms, who was beaten mercilessly by the dinosaur Digimon before the two teens arrived on the scene.

"He's out of our league…we aren't powerful enough to defeat him…" Tao muttered. "I suggest a retreat…"

"TWIN CANNON!"

An additional part slid onto the end of the cannons that Metal Tyramon was equipped with. Light blue energy began to charge at the ends of both cannon, before unleashing the powerful beam at Vormon.

The dragon like Digimon leaped back, but was caught in the explosion, sending him flying backwards before reverting him back to his original form.

"Xemon!" Marc exclaimed, picking up the Digimon in his arms. The blast was powerful, leaving a large crater at the point of impact.

"Tao's right…we can't handle him…we have…to go…" Xemon coughed. Marc pulled the Digimon against his chest protectively.

"Alright…let's go…" Marc sighed, admitting defeat. Tao nodded.

"Haeromon! Come on! We're going!" Tao shouted out. The massive bird flew over Metal Tyramon and dived down. Each Human held a Digimon in one hand, while the other reached out and grabbed one of the talons. Haeromon blasted off, trying to protect his passengers from the attacks Metal Tyramon spewed at them.

"ARGH!" Haeromon cried out, an attack blasting against his back, forcing him to drip a bit before regaining his altitude.

"Haeromon?! You okay?!" Tao cried out over the howling winds.

"I'm fine, don't worry," Haeromon replied, forcing a grin. Tao glanced back at Metal Tyramon, who continued firing at them, but they were out of his firing range.

"Haeromon, land. I want to check out how bad that last hit was," Tao requested, still holding Biyomon tightly in his arm.

"It's nothing," Haeromon repeated, more forcefully this time. Tao bit his lip, silencing himself.

"I sure hope it's nothing…" Tao thought, hoping all three Digimon were alright, especially Haeromon.

* * * * * *

Tigramon blinked groggily, attempting to focus her eyes.

"Hey…how are you feeling?" Shastina asked, ticking the feline behind the ears. Tigramon gave a weak smile, licking Shastina's arm.

"Better since I know you're okay," Tigramon spoke lightly, stretching out. She examined her surroundings. "Where are we?"

"The Real World, Japan, Kamiya Residence," Shastina informed, lifting Tigramon from the bed and holding the feline against her chest. "It seems like there are more Digi-Destined then we think."

"Oh?" Tigramon questioned, curling up against her partner. "Like about how many?"

"I think 19 some…" Shastina answered, trying to recall some of the name mentioned to her. She exited the bedroom, noticing both T.K. and Kari chatting by the kitchen table.

Kari was about 15, with short brown hair and a pink hair clip in her hair. She had light red eyes, and wore yellow shorts and a white T-shirt. A camera was around her neck, giving Shastina the impression that the Japanese girl was a photographer.

"Hey, Shastina, how's Tigramon?" T.K. asked. Kari turned around to face her.

"She's all right," Shastina replied, walking over to the table with the now conscious feline in her arms. She glanced outside on the balcony, noticing Gatomon on the railing, wind blowing against her fur. Tigramon excused herself, leaped down from Shastina's arms, and join Gatomon outside.

"Independent, isn't she?" Kari asked, smiling lightly. Shastina nodded, taking a seat at the table, examining T.K.'s features beforehand.

The boy had short blond hair and blue eyes, probably also the same age as Kari. His white hat was on the table, ruffles and creases in it showing its age. He wore a pair of light brown shorts and light green shirt.

"He can probably teach a few basketball players at home a thing or two…" Shastina thought after examining his height and build.

"Should I try explaining things now…or later?" Shastina asked the other two.

"Later would be better…" Kari responded. A small computer like device lay on the table in front of her, the cover closed and an odd written D on it. "Some of the Digi-Destined are going to come over tonight. I think Izzy would be particularly interested, assuming he has time out of university…"

"Then…maybe you should explain some things to me," Shastina suggested. "Like…um…well, I guess what you did." T.K. and Kari exchanged glances, before T.K began to spill the details on their adventures in the Digital World.

* * * * * *

Tao slowly wrapped bandages around Harriermon's body, placing pressure on the wound he suffered as Haeromon.

"Why didn't you tell me were bleeding?" Tao asked, sad that his friend failed to inform him of the wound.

"Didn't want to worry you…," Harriermon replied softly, lowering his head against the bed. "Besides…it's not that bad…" 

"You almost blacked out to lack of blood after the flight…and you used a lot of energy to fly away…" Tao rebutted, strapping the bandages down. "If I knew you were in this condition, I wouldn't have let you fly anymore once we were out of range of Metal Tyramon."

"I told you once before and I'll tell you again…don't worry about it…" he responded, repeating in the same tone as when he was Haeromon. Tao sighed, fighting back the urge to scream at the wounded bird. To side track his mind, he checked the time.

"It's almost midnight…you should get some rest…" Tao suggested to his partner.

"So should you," Harriermon rebutted, getting comfortable on the bed. Tao didn't protest, and crawled into the bed as well.

"Good night…" Harriermon whispered, closing his eyes. Tao remained silent, still worried about the condition the Digimon was in.

* * * * * *

Tai quickly scanned through all the channels on his T.V., waiting for other Digi-Destined to arrive at his house.

"It's all the same…" Tai muttered, referring to all the reports about monster attacks. He idly tossed the remote onto the couch before staring at Joe. He was studying away, probably for a test.

"Don't you ever take a break from that stuff?" Tai asked bitterly, flopping onto the couch beside the blue haired boy. Joe lowered the book from his eyes, staring at Tai strangely before continuing to study.

"At least I have something constructive to do while we wait for the others," Joe answered. Tai rolled his eyes, his gaze ending up at the lone Digi-Destined on the balcony. Yolei waved at Tai before exiting onto the balcony herself.

"Hi, I'm Yolei," she introduced. "You must be Shastina." Shastina glanced up at the other girl, nodding.

"It's nice to meet you Yolei," Shastina responded softly, turning to face the night sky again. Yolei blinked a few times, wondering if Shastina was always this anti-social.

"What's wrong?" Yolei asked in a concerned tone. Shastina again turned to face her, smiling a bit.

"Oh…I just got an e-mail…from a friend…" she replied, her smile fading. "His Digimon got wounded badly on his previous trip to the Digital World."

"Oh?!" Yolei exclaimed surprised. "Where is he? Maybe we can help." Shastina giggled lightly, confusing the other girl even more.

"Not unless you can swim across the ocean and trek through miles of land," Shastina responded, sighing afterwards. Yolei's face turned serious, leaning on the railing beside Shastina.

"He's more then a friend, isn't he?" Yolei asked, shocking Shastina. She tried to respond, but her tongue knotted in her mouth. "You don't have to answer, it's clear." Yolei grinned, and left.

* * * * * *

Tao stared out the window at the back of his English classroom. He wasn't paying any attention to the teacher. The only though on his mind was his friend: Harriermon.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked softly, bringing Tao out of his trance. He blinked once, before noticing Sora was asking him the question.

"…nothing…nothing at all…" Tao replied, about to turn.

"Something happened," Sora replied. "It's written all over your face." Tao remained silent, wondering how well this girl could read his features. "Someone close to you was hurt…and you wish you could be there for him or her right now."

"How…how did you know?" Tao stammered, almost getting the attention of the teacher.

"If…you have a life like mine…you will notice it…" she whispered, stopping the conversation. The boy wondered what Sora meant, but stopped short when he turned to face outside again. There was a sight he never thought possible in the Real World.

"Marc, come on!" he exclaimed, leaping to his feet and dragging his friend out of the class. Confusion spread amongst the class. Sora and Ioji exchanged glances, before turning to look outside.

* * * * * *

"That's a very interesting story…" Izzy mused, stroking his chin. "So…the decision now is if we should accept the merger or not…"

"I don't see why we all just can't go in and stop the problem at it's root," Davis muttered angrily, clenching his fist.

"In case you didn't hear, we don't know the root of the problem," Cody spoke calmly.

The group of Digi-Destined gathered around the living room of the apartment, crammed for space. If anymore Digi-Destined showed up, they would probably have to take this meeting somewhere else. Matt wasn't there, since he had a concert to attend. Ken didn't respond to the e-mail. Everyone assumed he was out, and probably would not be able to make it.

"But what would be the cause of this attack?" Joe asked, his textbook in his lap. "Digi-Portals just don't open for no reason around the world." All eyes turned to Izzy, the technical wizard of the group.

"The only plausible reason I can come up with…is that the merger has already been initiated," Izzy theorized. "One of the affects of the merger is Digimon and Human to 'meet', as this Tiberius mentioned to Shastina. Of course, I for one would like to meet this Tiberius, who seems to know quite a lot from his limited trips to the Digital World."

"But Serangmon said he wouldn't activate the program without our knowledge," Shastina defended, albeit weak.

"And Angels don't break their word," Gatomon added in. She sat with Kari on the couch. Silence was in the air. No one was able to come up with any other logical reason behind the new portal.

A loud rapping on the door alarmed them. Tai quickly ran over and opened the door, Ken bursting in, panting.

"Sorry…I'm late…but you should check out the news!" he exclaimed, rushing over and fumbling with the remote before turning on the television.

"…with another monster attack reported at Toronto, Ontario," the reported concluded, before the scene changed to the battle location, where camera crews were recording the scene.

"Oh my…Tao!" Shastina exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hands silently praying that he was all right.

* * * * * *

"Xemon…Digivolve to…Vormon!"

The dragon like Digimon stepped forward, ready to engage Metal Tyramon in round two. Tao held Harriermon close to his body, not allowing him to fight in his weakened condition. Biyomon, who followed Marc back to the Real World, struggled to break free of Marc's grip.

"Let me help!" she pleaded. She was in a much better condition then Harriermon.

"You won't be able to scratch him!" Marc replied sharply. "He hardly noticed you when you Spiral Twister'ed him!"

"BEAM OF CONVERGENCE!"

"TWIN CANNON!"

Both powers collided, causing a massive explosion at impact. Smoke shot up, blinding the two adversaries.

"Tao…please…" Harriermon asked, coughing. Tao easily held the bird in his arms. He remained silent, not wanting his friend to enter anymore danger, at least, not in the condition he was in.

The black smoke cleared, bringing the battle anew. Metal Tyramon rushed forward, hoping to crush his foe under his feet. Vormon evaded the trampling monster, but still had to contend with the tail.

"Let Biyomon go…" her voice told Marc. Both boys turned around, seeing Sora joining them in the fray.

"Sora?! You should be here!" Marc spoke, surprised to see her out. Nevertheless, he followed the instructions.

"No…it's okay…" she spoke softly. The pink bird Digimon and the human stared at each other for a long time, before Biyomon rushed into combat.

"Biyomon!" both males shouted as the bird took off.

"She'll be all right," Sora replied calmly, taking a small device from her pocket. Neither Marc nor Tao got a good view at the item before it began to glow.

"Biyomon…Digivolve to… Birdramon!"

The firebird blasted past Metal Tyramon and turned around. The dinosaur was caught in between both Digimon, though all three were still wondered if there was enough firepower to defeat this metal hulk.

"BEAM OF CONVERGENCE!"

Metal Tyramon braced for the attack, the spiral beam of fire and ice smashing against his armoured chest. He roared out in anger, shattering the ice that encased part of his body and shaking the off fire.

"METEROR WING!"

The flames smashed down on Metal Tyramon, burning his back. This time, he felt the flames, and was ready to swat that annoying bird out of the sky.

"RAPID BLAST!"

"Let me go!" Harriermon shouted, trying to struggle free from the vice-like grip Tao had him in.

"You're hurt, you can't fight!" Tao protested, trying to clamp the bird down even more. Despite that, the Digimon had renewed energy, breaking free somehow and flying forward.

"Harriermon…Digivolve to…Haeromon!"

The giant, white bird flew forward, despite his wounds, knocking Metal Tyramon down with a Sonic Wing attack while he was distracted by Birdramon.

"Haeromon, come back!" Tao screamed out, rushing forward, holding nothing for his own life. Haeromon quickly glanced back at his partner, before continuing to assault Metal Tyramon with the other two Digimon.

"METEROR WING!" "BEAM OF CONVERGENCE!" "SONIC WING!"

Metal Tyramon absorbed both Vormon's and Birdramon's attacks, waiting for the advancing Haeromon to attack.

With one quick motion, Metal Tyramon slammed his fist into the injured back of Haeromon. He cried out in pain, falling onto the floor. Sora and Marc gasped, Metal Tyramon placing his giant foot onto the bird's back.

"HAEROMON!!" Tao cried out, not wanting to see his friend fall.

* * * * * *

"What?!" Yolei cried out, taking her Digivice. She held it to her hand, energy beginning to build up before a crimson beam shot out of the device, out of the window, and out towards the horizon.

All the Digi-Destined were confused with the event, though Kari had a feeling she knew what happened. The news report continued on…

* * * * * *

Sora's Digivice began to react as well, charging energy before unleashing a beam of crimson energy. Sora yelped in surprise, as the beam circled in the air for no reason. In a few seconds, another beam reached across the sky and merged with Sora's beam. The two gathered energy, a small tile with an image on it appearing in the orb.

"It's the Crest of Love?!" Sora thought, wondering what it meant. The Crest then dashed at Tao and entered his Digivice, entering that symbol into the database. Both Marc and Tao were confused, but Sora knew what it meant.

"It's the Crest of Love!" she shouted to Tao. "Use it to Digivolve Haeromon!" Tao was a bit dazed, but heard Sora. He raised his Digivice towards the Champion level Digimon.

"Haeromon…Digivolve to…"

Crimson flames shot up and surrounded Haeromon. Metal Tyramon took a step back to avoid being burned by the flames. The mass of flames flew into the sky. Slowly, the flames blew out, revealing the new form of Haeromon.

"Soraeromon!"

The new bird was completely red, with a long stretched out tail that sparkled a flame. On his back, were two long, silver cannons that could combat those of Metal Tyramon.

"He's mine!" Soraeromon shouted, rushing headlong against the dinosaur. Vormon and Birdramon withdrew from the battle.

"TWIN CANNON!"

The twin beams of energy screamed towards the new Digimon, but he easily evaded with a barrel roll and lined up his cannons.

"SOARING STORM!"

Pellets of wind energy erupted from both cannons, tearing up the ground in front of Metal Tyramon before hitting him. Metal Tyramon roared in pain, being pushed back under the barrage of bullets. Soraeromon pulled up before he was close enough for the dinosaur to whack him again.

"RAPID BLAST!"

"AERO CANNON!"

Soraeromon began to dive back down towards the dinosaur, charging his cannons. Despite the amount of ammunition being spewed, the bird Digimon easily evaded the frantic attacks.

Twin beams of wind energy in the shape of twisters rushed forward, deflecting the remaining bullets away and smashing into the armour of the dinosaur. The wind drilled into the armour, deleting Metal Tyramon.

Soraeromon landed on the ground and changed back into Harriermon, with bandages and all.

Fin

****

Completed: 11/30/00

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	12. Episode 12-The Crest of Logic

****

The Crest of Logic

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

Wednesday after school in New York City. K.H. was idly typing at the computer he sat at in the Stuyvesant High School computer lab. With his other hand, he held his Digivice open, reading an e-mail he received from Shastina that contained a lot of interesting facts.

_Hey gang_

It's nice here in Japan. Of course, if you haven't heard yet of the monster attack, there was one, and I was in it, as well as Gatomon…who Digivolved into Angewomon.

Yes, it seems like we are not the only Digi-Destined there is. In fact, we seem to be the fourth generation Digi-Destined. I've met most of the third and second generations, but no one seems to know anything about the first generation.

Anyway, to get back on topic, Izzy, the intellect of the second generation group has blessed me with some information.

First of all, Toramon Digivolved to the next level, apparently Ultimate. Each Digimon holds a certain rank: Egg, Baby, In Training, Rookie, Champion, Ultimate, and Mega. Mega is the biggest and strongest.

Also, to be able to Digivolve into Ultimate, we need to have certain items called Crests, sort of a power amplifier that allows our Digimon to hit the next level. Strange, ne? I got the Crest of Light though. =)

Here's something else of interest:

A theory Izzy has about the sudden attack of a Digimon is that Serangmon activated the merger already. Like Tibbs said, Digimon and humans would need to live together. Personally, I am not sure if this is true or not, but I figure the next time one of us enters the Digital World, he or she can…um…go up and knock on the door and ask for an explanation? Well, guess not. Still, Izzy's theory may have a chance.

That's all I got to say. I'll leep up to date. Izzy wants to analyze my Digivice now.

Bye!

~Prism

"That's an interesting letter," Kinoumon commented, leaning over K.H.'s shoulder. The two were the lone occupants of the room, and therefore there was no need to hide the dragon-like Digimon. K.H. nodded in agreement, closing the Digivice and pocketing it.

"And the reports of the attacks in Japan and Canada are all across the news," K.H. added, turning back to his surfing the Internet.

"You think they'll come here?" Kinoumon asked, concerned. If attacks could happen there, then these portals could open anywhere.

"Probably a giant monkey on the Empire States Building like what happened about seven years ago," K.H. replied without turning his gaze from the computer. "Of course I still wonder what was going on at that time. Everyone was screaming monster and such."

"A really well acted movie?" Kinoumon joked, glancing at the screen. Most of the windows had Japanese Anime. "You really like that stuff, don't you?" Kinoumon asked. K.H. smiled lightly, entering one of the other windows to see if the page had loaded. "You should really be researching your project like you said you would do." K.H. shrugged, nearly knocking Kinoumon off his shoulder.

"Sorry…" K.H. apologized, making sure his Digimon was steady before continuing to surf. Of course by then, Kinoumon decided perching on K.H.'s head would be better.

"Don't you think you should reply to that e-mail?" Kinoumon asked.

"There's nothing to respond with," K.H. replied lightly, clicking here and there on the screen. "The questions have been answered…all there is to wait for are more questions…"

"That sounds…logical…in a weird sort of way…" Kinoumon agreed.

"Oh, and don't mess up the hair, okay?" K.H. asked. Kinoumon giggled, telling the K.H. he won't.

* * * * * *

Three Digi-Destined sat alone at a table in the DMCI cafeteria. School was cancelled for the rest of the day, but the Tao, Marc, and Sora stayed anyway. There was a lot of explaining to do. . The two generations of Digi-Destined swapped stories of their adventures thus far, while Biyomon was tending to Harriermon's wounds and Xemon sat on the seat beside Marc.

"The new Digi-Destined team has been assembled then," Sora said. Marc nodded. "But they are scattered around the world. I wonder why they chose to do that…"

"To make things difficult?" Tao answered sarcastically. He stood up to get a better view of Harriermon, though Biyomon's back blocked his view.

"Don't worry. Biyomon can take care of him," Sora consolidated, placing a hand on his. Tao was silent, but sat back down. Marc checked his watch, surprised at the time.

"It's almost four o'clock…we should really get going…" he commented.

"That's about six o'clock A.M. back home," Sora calculated. "I wonder if Tai e-mailed me…" she asked thoughtfully. The girl removed her D-terminal from her backpack and checked the e-mail. "Oh my…"

"What?" both boys asked, leaning over to try to read the e-mail.

"Japan attacked…Crest of Light revealed…merger possibility?" Sora murmured, but only a few words were heard by the other three at the table. Marc decided then to check his own e-mail, surprised with the letter he got.

"Tao, check your e-mail," he told his companion. Tao did as suggested, though surprising Sora that the Digivice also acted as a D-terminal.

"Shastina sent a letter…about the other Digi-Destined in Japan?" Tao spoke out loud, scrolling down to read more. Now it was Sora's turn to lean over and see what the e-mail said.

"It seems like our friends say the same thing," Sora commented, beginning to compile a reply stating how she met some of the newer Digi-Destined.

"Yeah…" Tao agreed, a bit surprised at how coincidental it was.

"Wait…doesn't…um…K.H. live in New York?" Sora asked, looking up from her D-terminal.

"Yeah," Marc answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Mimi and Michael live in New York," Sora replied, beginning to process another e-mail once she sent replied to the previous one. "Maybe those three can meet as well."

"It's a possibility," Tao mused. "But they got to find K.H. first, and I have no idea where he is in New York..."

* * * * * *

K.H. exhaled, turning off the computer and collecting his school bag. He stepped over towards the window, watching the river flow by beside the school.

"Maybe you should stop gawking and go home," Kinoumon suggested, giggling a bit. "It _is_ late." K.H. shrugged, this time without worrying about knocking the Digimon over. K.H. was about to turn away until a bubbling in the river caught his attention. It was difficult to see through the drizzle and the fact the computer lab was on the second floor of the school.

"What's…going on with the river?" he asked, pressing his face against the glass for a better look.

"Um…someone boiling the water?" Kinoumon remarked, getting a short laugh from K.H.

"You and your smart remarks…" he countered, though giggling. Kinoumon reminded the boy of himself. "Just what IS that…" K.H. asked. This time, the Digimon remained silent, thinking about the answer. The bubbling subsided, leaving the two dumbfound.

"That was…strange…to say the least…" Kinoumon muttered. Suddenly, a sapphire coloured orb blasted out from where the bubbles were, crashing through the window and knocking both the Human and Digimon back. K.H. and Kinoumon yelped in panic, surprised by the attack. Water splattered all around the room when the orb struck against the ceiling.

"A water attack!?" Kinoumon shouted, making sure not to touch any of the broken glass as he jumped onto the windowsill. The Digimon peered out of the shattered remnants of the window. Kinoumon was hit dead on by the water ball. K.H. caught the soaked Digimon, who was coughing, trying to get some air in his lungs after being splattered.

"It was…a Fineramon…" Kinoumon told K.H., coughing in between words. K.H. wasn't sure what this Digimon was, but if it hurt Kinoumon, he knew it couldn't be good. "This…is the monster attack for New York I guess…right?" Kinoumon asked, forcing a grin. K.H. smiled back, grabbing his bag and rushing out the door. He was hyped, ready to take on Fineramon.

* * * * * *

Legionarimon clashed his mandibles together, ready to make mince meat out of Fineramon.

Fineramon was a large frog like Digimon, about the size of Legionarimon. Razor like fins stretched out from his fore legs and across his back. Strangely crimson eyes glared at Kinoumon, silently accepting the challenge K.H.'s Digimon offered.

"Be careful Legionarimon…" K.H. warned, his emerald Digivice gripped tightly in his right hand. "Those fins look sharp…" 

"I always am," Legionarimon responded, running forward, snapping his mandibles, ready to crush Fineramon.

Fineramon quickly raised both his fore fins, stopping the mandibles from crushing his neck. Legionarimon tried to force his mandibles closed. The two Digimon struggled for a few moments, before Fineramon dived down and kicked Legionarimon in the chest with his hind legs.

"Urgh…cheap shot mon…" Legionarimon protested. Fineramon smirked in response.

"SONIC MANDIBLES!"

Legionarimon clashed his mandible together in rapid succession. A shockwave of energy glided through the air, ready to slice Fineramon in two. Fineramon leaped into the air, evading the insect Digimon's attack.

"FINRA STORM!"

Fineramon curled up into a ball in the air, and began to spin rapidly. A storm of fin blades lashed out at Legionarimon, the majority impacting around him due to the inaccuracy of the attack, however, a few slammed into him, denting his chitinous armour.

"FINRA SLAM!"

Using the momentum gained from the spin, Fineramon darted towards his opponent, smashing against his head. Normally, one would think the armoured Digimon would win, but Legionarimon fell to the attack. Fineramon bounced back, landing on his feet with unbelievable grace, smirking at the end.

"Legionarimon!?" K.H. shouted, running up and kneeling down beside him, an arm around his neck.

"Heh…you shouldn't be up here you know," Legionarimon told K.H. getting up for a split second before collapsing back onto the ground. "It's dangerous…"

"You should be the one talking pal…" K.H. countered, stepping in front of Legionarimon. Fineramon smirked yet again. "You know bud, that smirk is REALLY pissing me off…" K.H. grumbled.

"FINRA SLAM!"

Fineramon curled up in his trademark spin, ready to crush the puny Human that stood in his way. K.H. raised his hands, hoping his frail limbs could absorb as much impact as possible.

"ICE BLAST!"

The freezing cold attack came from a surprising angle, creating a large barrier of ice between the Digimon and the Human. Fineramon slammed headfirst into the wall, falling back in a less graceful fashion, shaking the pain out of his head. Fineramon growled harshly, turning his head towards the river, where the attack came from.

A massive emerald serpent splashed past, halting to a stop. Three passengers were holding onto his horn: two humans and one Digimon.

"Nice shot Seadramon," the male human applauded, leaping down from the Digimon's head. The other, a female, and her Digimon also leaped off. Both teens held a strange looking Digivice that K.H. never saw before. Fineramon growled at the two, kneeling down and ready to pounce on the new targets. He completely ignored his original prey.

"Alright Palmon, time to Digivolve," the girl told her plant like Digimon, placing the Digivice near her. Palmon nodded, the Digivice bursting with energy.

"Palmon…Digivolve to…Togemon!"

In a blink of an eye…the small plant became a large two-legged cactus with big red gloves on her fists.

"Let's rock! NEEDLE SPRAY!"

Togemon let loose a hail of sharp pointy needles, much more accurate then Fineramon and his Finra Storm. Most imbedded into the soft skin of the frog like Digimon, but he seemed to ignore the pain, leaping up towards the Digimon and their companions.

"FINRA STORM!"

Fineramon rolled up into a ball again, unleashing the storm of razor fins that didn't seem to stop this time. Both Seadramon and Togemon shielded their partners from the blizzard.

"Is that an Ultimate level Digimon?!" the female cried out, kneeling down and placing her hands over her head. Togemon leaned over her, absorbing fins.

"Sure seems like it!" the boy cried back, protected by Seadramon who wrapped his serpentine form around the boy. K.H. 's mind raced with thought, trying to figure out what to do.

"Seadramon, use an Ice Blast and create another shield!" K.H. shouted out. Seadramon perked up, determination renewed his eyes.

"ICE BLAST!"

The polar ice blasted forward in a wide angle, initially freezing the razor fins in place, before creating a large semi dome that encircled the two Digimon and Humans from the attack. New royally annoyed and landing on the newly created ice dome, Fineramon gazed back at K.H., death sparkling in his eyes. With one powerful push from his hind legs, the amphibian leaped at K.H.

The first ice barrier suddenly shattered, tossing ice shrapnel everywhere and knocking Fineramon back. Replacing the barrier was a small floating tile, bathed in an aura of brown light. On the tile was an unfamiliar picture.

"It's a Crest…but I haven't seen it before…" the girl spoke in awe. On the Crest was a strange symbol: two question marks hooked together at the top of the bend, with an exclamation mark cutting through the point of intersection. The Digimon and Humans stared at the Crest for a long moment, before the Crest chose its master. It dashed into K.H.'s Digivice, the symbol now on the screen.

"So…this is a Crest…" K.H. thought, glancing back at Legionarimon, who was now back on his feet, ready to test out the new Crest. "Ready friend?" K.H. asked his Digimon partner. A sharp nod gave him the answer he wanted to see. The Digi-Destined pointed his Digivice towards the Digimon.

"Legionarimon…Digivolve to…"

Brown light surrounded the Digimon, though it was clear he was growing in size. Slowly, the two hind legs merged together, the fore legs growing in size. Slithering energy peered out of the forehead, as more indistinguishable things began to grow out of various body parts.

"Dirubramon!"

It was clear what the new insect-like Digimon resembled. He was hunched backed, with long blue tentacles slithering out of his forehead. Fins streaked across chitinous armour and two large arms provided support for the body. A large tail with blades and a pincer came out of his back to support the main body.

"EEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" the girl screeched out, disgusted by the form.

"Okay Mimi…you don't have to be so verbal about it…" the boy replied.

"But it's so…slimy, Michael!" the one called Mimi cried out loudly. K.H. shook his head, smiling a bit at the turn of events.

"FINRA SLAM!"

Fineramon rolled up into his ball shape, rushing forward and ready to knock the Digimon over again. This time, however, Dirubramon was ready for the attack.

With amazing agility, Dirubramon flipped around and smashed the ball with the blunt end of his tail, like a baseball bat hitting a baseball. Fineramon went flying into the air.

"Subterranean TENDRIL!"

Dirubramon thrust his tail into the ground, some unknown attack travelling underground. Suddenly, dozens of spikes shot up from the ground, right at the point of impact for Fineramon. The Digimon was impaled with the majority of the spikes, croaking in pain before turning into small bits of data. With that final attack, Dirubramon reverted back into his Rookie level form, smiling proudly of his achievement.

But K.H.'s attention wasn't to the battle anymore, it was now to his Digivice, that held his Crest. The symbol of the Crest was there, but what was strange was only half was 'drawn in'. His left half was fully coloured, with the right half was shadowed, faded, as if he didn't own it.

"What does it mean…?" K.H. thought.

Fin

****

Completed: 12/04/00

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	13. Episode 13-New Knowledge, Old Sincerity

****

New Knowledge, Old Sincerity

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

__

Greetings my Digi-Destined companions

These Crests we got are interesting, to say the least. I'm not sure about the rest of you, but my Crest is 'half complete'. The left side is fully coloured, but the right is faded, as if non-existent. I'm not sure if this is for the Crests of Tao and Shastina. Wonder what it means though? Can child genius Izzy help? Oh, Shas, give the file attached to Izzy. Maybe he can shed some light on this Crest. Neither Mimi nor Michael (other Digi-Destined I met) seem to know what the Crest represents.

Three attacks in three days at three different locations revealing three Crests. Marc, Tibbs, watch your back.

~K.H. 'Nobie' Lai

Tiberius closed his Digivice after reading through the e-mail twice. He placed the item on the table. K.H.'s last two sentences kept revolving in his mind.

"Three attacks…three days…three Crests…" Tiberius repeated under his breath.

"Tibbs, don't let it get to you," Lepumon reassured him. The rabbit like Digimon hopped onto the table, staring at the Digivice before turning to face Tiberius. "I'll protect you." Tiberius smiled lightly, patting the bunny.

"As long as we get a Crest, right?" he asked, taking the Digimon into his arms.

"A Crest would be nice, but I have faith in my own abilities," Lepumon commented, cuddling up against his partner. Tiberius smiled lightly, allowing the Digimon to get comfortable.

* * * * * *

"What did the e-mail say?" Sora asked Tao during third period: the period both had lunch. Marc had Physics class at the moment.

"Crests…attacks…unknowns…" Tao was trying to find the right words to summarise the e-mail. "K.H. found Mimi and Michael…got his Crest…what the Crest represents is still a mystery…He also stated something about half Crests…" Tao trailed off, closing the e-mail and his Digivice and loaded his Crest onto the screen. As K.H. said, only half was revealed, or coloured. The right half was faded.

"Well…he was right…" Sora commented, getting a closer look at the Crest. Tao held the Digivice underneath the table to make sure no one else in the Cafeteria saw the device. "Maybe Izzy can figure it out…"

"That's what K.H. recommended," Tao informed, placing the device back into his pocket so as not to attract anymore attention. He sighed, placing his head in his hands, thinking.

"Why you?" Sora asked suddenly.

"Wha?" Tao answered, unsure what she was asking.

"Why were you chosen to be the Digi-Destined?" she repeated in a more understandable sentence.

"Yeah…" Tao muttered. "That question has popped up more than once in my mind." Sora smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"The answer will come when you least expect it," she answered. "And you'll know why you were chosen, no matter what, you'll go on with what was placed before you." Tao blinked once, trying to decipher the meaning behind those words. Sora saw the confusion in his eyes; then stood up, deciding to leave him to think by himself.

* * * * * *

"This is a very interesting Digivice…" Izzy mused. It was late night or early morning at his apartment. Shastina wasn't very tired, getting a short nap before coming to this location.

"What's so interesting about it?" Shastina asked, peering over his shoulder and facing the computer screen. Tigramon slept on his bed, curled up and snoring lightly.

"The new Digivice acts as a D-Terminal as well as share features found on the D3 that the third generation has…and even a small hard drive to hold data…but there is another feature which intrigues me…"

"What would that be?" Shastina asked next, curious about the Digivice.

"It also acts as a universal translator…" Izzy mused. "Hence your ability to understand and speak with us." A soft beeping on the Digivice caught both Digi-Destineds' attention. "You got an e-mail," he told Shastina after checking the cause. She nodded, taking the Digivice from the table to check her mailbox. The female read the contents of the e-mail from K.H. aloud.

"Hmm…may I?" Izzy asked. Shastina nodded, handing him the Digivice. With a transfer cable that he somehow had, he connected his laptop to the Digivice, and downloaded the attachment to the letter. Quickly, he analysed the Crest that was given. During that time, Shastina wanted to confirm K.H.'s suspicion, checking the 'condition' of her Crest. She unhooked the cable once Izzy had the file, and accessed her Crest. Much to her dismay, the right half of her Crest was faded.

"Ah ha!" Izzy exclaimed, finding what he was looking for in his database of the Digital World. "This is the Crest of Logic…representing how one can get the best idea to do, even under the sheer pressure of the moment. The element is represents: ground. Hmm…and this time I though Knowledge represented both Electricity and Ground, since Digmon is obviously a ground element…"

"Izzy…the Crest is faded…" Shastina informed him. Izzy leaned back on his chair and turned to face Shastina, who showed him the image.

"Well…that's something new…" he commented, pulling the Digivice closer. "I have no idea what this means…but let's hope it doesn't stop an the Champion Digimon from Digivolving to Ultimate." Shastina nodded in agreement, opening her Digivice to write to the group about the news.

* * * * * *

Thursday afternoon rolled along, and Tiberius was leaving his last period class. The e-mail he read from Shastina the morning before he departed for school told him a lot of interesting facts.

A sharp but light kick against his back made him. He carefully removed his backpack from his shoulders, lifted it, and unzipped the bag partially.

"It's suffocating in here!" Lepumon protested, kicking the bag again, getting the attention of more than one pair of eyes in the hallway.

"Hey…calm down!" Tiberius hissed, making sure very few, if no people, could hear him. "People will start getting suspicious!"

"Yeah, alright," Lepumon muttered. "Need I remind you that your mom requested you pick up something on your way home? You know, that present your mom wanted to give to her friend's daughter?"

"Oh…crap…" Tiberius cursed, mentally slapping himself for his incompetence. "Thanks for reminding me pal," he told the Digimon, quickly strapping the backpack over his shoulder and running off.

"No…problem…" Lepumon muttered inside the bag, bouncing around.

* * * * * *

Tiberius glanced nervously around, wondering if this was the right store or not. His mom told him the location and said that the place was small. The place was small, but also bustling with activity, much more activity then Tiberius expected from a 'small' store.

"Is this right?" Tiberius asked himself mentally, checking the address he wrote down again. "Yeah…it is…" he murmured, crumpling the paper and stuffing it into his pocket. He inhaled, mustering his courage and entered the store. Left and right, customers were admiring the dresses and such around the store. Most were whispering to each other how well 'Yasmine' tailored her designs. Others were just silent, possibly awe struck by the how glamorous they were.

As for Tiberius, he wasn't sure what was going on, but he approached the counter, where a young Japanese woman just finished assisting a patron. She nodded at the patron, before he waved and left, obviously satisfied with the purchase.

"Um…hello…" Tiberius greeted shyly. The clerk looked at, giving a bright cheery smile at Tiberius.

"Hello," she replied. She wore pink bell-bottom pants with a black belt. The clerk also wore a white sleeveless top and Tiberius saw a pair of white platform shoes she wore under the counter. She had shoulder length brown hair, with a multicolour hair wrap around some strands. Her sapphire blue eyes also examined the new patron that just entered. "Ah…you must be Tiberius…Tibbs, right?"

"Uh…yeah…" Tiberius answered weakly. He just felt incredibly nervous being in this store.

"Hey, don't be shy," she told Tiberius. "My name is Yuriko Yashida, but everyone calls me Yasmine. Your mom told me to watch out for you today, and by the way she described her son, it seems to be you." Yasmine smiled briefly. "I'll get your mom's order." She turned around and walked towards the door leading to the storeroom.

"Thank you Ms. Yashida," Tiberius spoke out politely. She returned carrying a small package.

"Please, don't be so formal," Yasmine said, placing the package on the counter. "Yuriko or Yasmine is fine."

"Alright Ms. Yas…er…I mean Yuriko," Tiberius corrected. Even if he shouldn't call her 'Ms.', he still wanted to use her true name.

"You know…very few people pronounce my name right…" Yuriko commented, leaning against the desk. "You study Japanese in school?"

"Well…sort of…" Tiberius stammered. Another sharp kick to his back made him pause.

"Is something wrong?" Yuriko asked, her tone changing. "Is there something in your bag?"

"Oh…no no no no…it's nothing…" Tiberius quickly spoke, denying the truth. He was kicked in the back again, this making him groan.

"Are you sure about that, young man?" Yuriko asked, smiling. She reached over to unzip the bag, but was interrupted by screaming outside. "What the…what's wrong?" she asked out loud.

"What's wrong?" Tiberius repeated, trying to think up an answer. "Three days…three attacks…" he thought, before the idea dawned to him.

"Digimon attack!" he exclaimed, rushing out the door. Yuriko was initially dumb found by those two words. After putting the sentence together, she chased after Tiberius, not willing to let him face the threat alone.

* * * * * *

Much to no one's surprise, there was a Digimon attack on the city. Tiberius quickly unzipped his backpack, letting Lepumon out, who literally sucked up air.

"Next time, you're in the bag, I'll walk!" Lepumon exclaimed, before turning to face the attacking Digimon. "Alright, let's kick some mon!"

"Wait!" Tiberius exclaimed, holding Lepumon back. "There are two Digimon fighting each other…" Lepumon halted completely now, wondering which Digimon was the threat. Tiberius got his Digivice in his hand, scanning the two Digimon. He pointed the device towards the first and small plant like Digimon who had vines as hair and leaf like feet. She had four claws and a long tail.

_Botanimon:_ _Plant like Digimon who will fight to protect their friends and allies. Main attack: Aloe Barrage. A Rookie level Digimon._

Tiberius then turned his Digivice to the other, larger Digimon. He was a large, blue snake like dragon with large green wings allowing the Digimon to fly.

_Jindramon: Dragon like Digimon who soars the skies and attacks does who dare defiles his territory. Main attack: Jinn Breath. An Ultimate level Digimon._

"Oh man…Botanimon is going to get massacred by Jindramon!" Tiberius exclaimed. He pointed his Digivice towards Lepumon. "Alright, just follow your instincts friend, because I still don't have a clue who's the good mon and who's the bad mon!" Lepumon nodded, the Digivice surging with energy.

"Lepumon…Digivolve to…Bukkomon!"

"ROCKET FLARE!"

Bukkomon quickly fired off a blast of golden energy from his mouth, impacting against Jindramon's chest and making him very angry.

"Yeah, that who I would've attacked to," Tiberius told Bukkomon. The rabbit smiled, hopping into fray.

"ALOE BARRAGE!"

Botanimon's tail extended forward, wrapping around the neck of Jindramon, who promptly used the new attachment to throw the plant into the nearby building.

"Botanimon!" Yuriko shouted out from behind Tiberius. He turned to face her wondering how she knew about Digimon, but the answer was clear: she held a Digivice in her hand. "Digivolve!" The Digivice collected energy on command.

"Botanimon…Digivolve to…Lushellemon!"

_Lushellemon: A plant like Digimon who uses her vines to constrict the foe. Attacks: Jungle Radiance, Constricting Dance. A Champion level Digimon._

Lushellemon stood tall, with multiple vines as her legs and a 'leaf' dress. Her arms were plant like with two long vines stretching out from the elbow. She had pupil-less eyes. Her 'hair' was tied back in a knot.

"JUNGLE RADIANCE!" "ROCKET FLARE!"

Both Digimon combined their attacks now, golden energy from Bukkomon's mouth and emerald energy from both Lushellemon's eyes and mouth scorched the Digimon, but he continued to fly.

"JINN BREATH!"

Dark blue fire blasted out of the dragon's mouth, burning the ground and knocking both Digimon away, neither able to withstand the heat. Lushellemon, however, recovered quickly and resumed her attack.

"CONSTRICTING DANCE!"

Lushellemon's vines reached out and wrapped around the dragon. This time, the plant pulled herself towards the dragon and hung off for her dear life, hoping the dragon couldn't dislodge her from the position. Bukkomon was slowly regaining his senses after they were broiled.

"Stay up there!" Tiberius shouted to Lushellemon, rushing over to Bukkomon. "He can't knock you off without arms!" The plant didn't need to be told, as she was hanging on as best as a rodeo rider would hold onto a mad bull. Yuriko watched silently, praying her Digimon would remain safe.

"Get an ice pack please…" Bukkomon requested once Tiberius was close enough to him. He smiled, kneeling down beside the rabbit.

"Come on…we still need you out there pal…" Tiberius pleaded softly, helping the rabbit to his feet.

"I'll try…" Bukkomon responded weakly. A cry of pain echoed through the air. Both Digimon and Human looked up, seeing that Jindramon finally got the planet of his head by ramming himself into a nearby building. Lushellemon crashed onto the ground below. Yuriko cried out Lushellemon's name.

Jindramon then turned his attention towards Tiberius and significantly weakened Digimon.

The ground in front of them imploded for some unknown reason.

* * * * * *

Izzy slept peacefully in his bed, though his laptop was slowly downloading something in the process. If the teenager were awake however, he would've noticed the purple radiance from his Digivice, before it streaked out of his window.

* * * * * *

Cody twisted and turned in his sleep, having a nightmare that he wouldn't wake from.

The boy's Digivice began to react with something unknown, also collecting a purple glow, before the beam of energy streaked out the window.

Cody stopped his erratic movement in his dream, most likely calming down.

* * * * * *

Both beams of light travelled side by side at a speed that would have been impossible. The two beams slowly became one, twisting together before merging. Their destination was a small tile that floated in the air a feet away from Tiberius and Bukkomon.

The three items merged together, the tile now surrounded in a screen of purple light, and showing a symbol unfamiliar to Tiberius. With that, the tile entered his Digivice, the symbol shining brightly on the screen.

Yuriko could see the confusion on Tiberius' face while she was helping Lushellemon.

"It's the Crest of Knowledge!" she shouted out. With that new information in hand, Tiberius knew what to do. Bukkomon was ready for some more action. The boy regarded his Digivice for one more second, then pointed it towards his Digimon. The Digivice began to react, surging with power.

"Bukkomon…Digivolve to…"

Bukkomon seemed to grow, changing into a black like colour. In a glow of light, two blue bladed wings formed on his back, his ears turning more like horns in the process. His arms got larger and more muscular, as his crimson claws extended forward. Metal armour formed on his chest, head, and lower parts of all his limbs.

"Kagepumon!"

Jindramon was surprised by the sudden change, flying back a few meters and deciding whether to attack or not.

Kagepumon made the decision for him.

"TECTONIC THUNDER!"

Kagepumon slammed his feet into the ground, causing a large earthquake that surprisingly did not topple anything. Golden energy began to ripple from the ground, before golden pillars of light shot out from under the earth, slicing through the dragon and deleting him instantly.

Kagepumon quickly returned to his Rookie form, as did Lushellemon. Both humans cradled their Digimon in their arms, though the two humans knew there was a lot of explaining to do.

Fin

****

Completed: 12/06/00

****

Additional Notes:

Thanks to Howard Chu for creating Yuriko and her Digimon for me. =) They do belong to him, so, if you want permission to use Yuriko/Yasmine and her Digimon, ask me, and I'll ask him. Thank you.

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	14. Episode 14-Dragon Friend

****

Dragon Friend

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

Tiberius sat down at the chair provided to him by Yasmine. Lepumon lay in Tiberius' arms, resting after a battle well fought. He glanced around the storeroom, again back in the nervous state he was in when he first entered the store.

"Well…I never thought I'd see the day when I met another Digi-Destined," Yasmine spoke, setting a chair down and sitting on it. Botanimon was on her partner's back, hanging own. The plant like Digimon was happy to be with her partner yet again after so many long years.

"Well…I'm guessing you are Digi-Destined as well," Tiberius started. "With the Digivice and a Digimon…but what is your relation to the Digital World? Did you just get a Digivice, or is there more?" Yasmine smiled, retrieving her Digivice from her pocket.

"Seventeen years ago, before your time, I got this item," she told Tiberius and his Digimon. "It was a dream at first, where I was being chased by another Digimon, though I didn't know they were Digimon at the time. I got a Digivice in the dream, and then Botanimon appeared, Digivolving right in front of my eyes. She defeated the other Digimon before I awoke from my slumber, drenched in sweat."

"I tried to shake the thought away from my mind, but there was a startling revelation: a Digivice was on my night table."

"Wait a minute…" Tiberius interrupted, analyzing the information. "Seventeen years ago…you were the first generation of Digi-Destined?" Yasmine nodded, replacing the Digivice in her pocket.

"An old man called Gennai provided us information during our journey in the Digital World," Yasmine continued. "With that, we battled through evil Digimon after evil Digimon, until we reached the ultimate enemy: Apocalymon."

"It took everything we had and more to defeat this menace…but in the end, we emerged victorious." Yasmine sighed, running a hand through Botanimon's vine like hair. "When we left the Digital World, it was clear our Digimon couldn't come with us. We bid our farewells, and hoped that the Digi-Portal would open again."

"And the portals have opened again…" Tiberius concluded. "Well…at least for you, it has." Yasmine nodded her agreement, smiling lightly. She held Botanimon tightly in her arms sighing reminiscently about the past memories.

"Yeah…those were the days…before I moved from Japan…" she spoke softly, pressing her Digimon closer to her chest. "Seventeen years ago…am I really 28 now?"

Tiberius remained silent, before remembering something K.H. told him, and that Shastina and Tao confirmed. Still, the boy wanted to know for himself if it was true, and promptly got his Digivice out. Yasmine blinked, curious with the younger boy's activity and leaned over to see.

"The Crest of Knowledge…is faded?" she spoke aloud, wondering if this was natural in this time and age.

"Yeah…the Crest for each of the other Digi-Destined is also faded," Tiberius told her. "We're not sure why…and we hope even with 'half-Crests' that the Digimon will still be able to Digivolve to the Ultimate level."

"Well…you'll never know until it happens, right?" Yasmine spoke, smiling lightly. "Speaking of which…how is your Digital Journey so far?" Tiberius wasn't sure where to begin, but decided in the end to proceed from the beginning, when Tao entered the Digital World for the first time…or at least, what the other Digi-Destined told him through e-mails and ICQ messages.

* * * * * *

Shastina smiled for the camera. With a brief flash, she knew the picture was taken, and walked over to Kari and T.K..

"It's nice to know that both your school and my program decided to cancel for today," Shastina commented. Kari nodded in agreement, as did T.K.

"Well…with the monster attacks, they probably were preoccupied," T.K. spoke. "Besides, it's a nice break from school." Kari smiled, leaning against T.K.'s arm.

"You two look cute together," Shastina told them, making both blush bright red.

"Ahh…heheh…" T.K. stammered, tongue tied with the prior remark.

"And how about YOU," Kari spoke, emphasizing the last word and hoping to get away from the topic he other girl brought up. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Uh…yeah…" Shastina admitted, lowering her head sheepishly. Kari grinned ear to ear.

"What Crest does he have? Or he isn't Digi-Destined?" Kari continued, leaning over, still with the grin on her face.

"Oh…um…he's got the Crest of Love…" Shastina answered, looking away, embarrassed.

"Love? Heh…seems fitting," T.K joked.

"Maybe Hope would've been better," Kari commented.

"Hope?" Shastina asked. "Why is that?" T.K side eyed Kari, who in turn giggled lightly.

"It's nothing…inside joke," the boy told Shastina, checking his watch. "Hmm…Davis, Yolei, and Cody must be waiting for us." Both females nodded, calling out in the distance for their Digimon. Both came on command, leaping into the arms of their partner.

"Well, let's go then," Kari spoke, beginning to lead the trio towards the meeting point until Shastina's Digivice began to go off. T.K and Kari exchanged glances, wondering what was going on.

"What's the matter with your Digivice?" T.K. finally spoke.

"I…don't know…" Shastina remarked, taking her white Digivice from her pocket. "Is it…trying to open a portal to the Digital World?" In a matter of seconds, blinding light surrounded the trio of Humans and duo of Digimon. Then…Shastina and Tigramon disappeared…

* * * * * *

Biyomon patted the bandages that was wrapped around Harriermon's chest, making sure they were secure.

"There…all set," she spoke, the other bird Digimon sitting up.

"Thanks Biyo," Harriermon told her, smiling lightly. Biyomon smiled back.

"No problem Harrier," she responded casually. The two had grown to calling each other by a shortened name, making it easier to communicate.

Both bird type Digimon stared at each other, continuing to smile, but remaining silent.

"So…um…what do you want to do?" Harriermon asked, breaking the atmosphere of silence.

"I dunno…" Biyomon replied softly, turning her sight away from Harriermon, as if it was a welcome relief. "Just…do nothing?"

"I guess…" Harriermon responded blankly. The two continued to remain silent, neither moving from their position.

* * * * * *

"I think they like each other…" Sora whispered to Tao as the two continued to watch what their Digimon were doing. Neither Digimon had noticed the two Humans gazing in through a partially open door.

"You think so?" Tao asked in an equally low voice. "I'm not so sure about that…"

"Well…they sure are pretty close to each other…" Sora commented, stepping away from the door.

"Then again…it's not our business to spy on them," Tao told her, also stepping back. "Besides…I'm more concerned about that e-mail Tibbs sent me a while back…"

"Oh yeah," the female spoke, remembering the original intention of coming to Tao's house. "You wanted to tell me about that e-mail."

"Tiberius met a first generation Digi-Destined…" Tao informed the other, walking down the stairs.

"What?!" Sora said loudly. She quickly lowered her voice afterwards. "You mean…one of the group members that beat Apocalymon the first time?" Tao nodded the answer.

"Her name is Yuriko Yashida, but most people call her Yasmine," the boy informed. "Been about 17 years since she went into the Digital World…she was 11 when she went."

"That's nine years prior to our visit…" Sora calculated. "Hey, you weren't even born yet when she went."

"Yeah, I noticed that too," Tao spoke in a sarcastic tone. "That's a pretty big gap…I believe there's only a four or five year difference between my generation and previous one."

"Something along those lines…" the other teenager answered. She gazed up at the moonlit night sky through the window. "It's a beautiful night…" she commented, smiling lightly.

* * * * * *

Under the same night sky, Xemon was gazing out the window. He stood on Marc's bed, blinking occasionally, but clearly zoned out with the external environment.

"Earth to Xemon…you there? Marc asked, waving his hand in front of the Digimon. Xemon snapped out of his trance, turning to face Marc quickly.

"Oh…sorry…" Xemon apologized, bowing his head. "Was just thinking?"

"Thinking? About what?" Marc asked, sitting down on the bedside.

"The moon…" the dragon Digimon answered. "How we're so similar."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"The moon is nothing like the sun, in size and luminescence," Xemon explained. "However…the moon is always trying to be like the sun…coming up at night to shed his light. It knows it can never be like the sun, but keeps on trying…turning round and round for others to see his light, even if it is very little."

"And…how does this relate to you?" Marc asked next, unsure with what the Digimon meant.

"It's like Digivolving…I'm afraid…I won't be able to Digivolve to the Ultimate level…my light won't get brighter…I'll stay like the moon…"

"Hey!" Marc exclaimed, sitting up. "Don't talk like that. You'll be all right! Your time will come to take it a step up!" Xemon slowly turned his gaze to his companion.

"Do you really believe that?" Xemon asked softly.

"Of course!" Xemon smiled lightly, exiting his depressed mood.

"Thanks Marc…" the Digimon told his partner, hopping into his arms.

"No problem. What do you think friends are for?" Xemon nodded in agreement, curling up in the human's arms. Suddenly, Marc's Digivice began to go off.

"A Digital Portal is open?!" he asked, turning to face the computer screen in his room. The program for the Digi-Portal on his computer did not activate, but his Digivice was still reacting.

"What's wrong?" Xemon asked, leaning over and getting a look at the Digivice still clipped to the boy's belt. He quickly covered his eyes as bright light was emitted.

They were gone…no evidence of them being in the room whatsoever.

* * * * * *

"Alright…that was the strangest time to enter the Digital World…" Shastina commented, still holding Tigramon in her arms.

"Considering we weren't even close to a computer, this is strange…" Tigramon agreed, leaping down from her partner's arms.

"Very," Shastina spoke, concurring with the previous sentence. A short surge of energy alerted her of another presence. Both humans yelped in surprise when they met face-to-face.

"Geeze Shas…where did YOU come from?!" Marc exclaimed.

"I could ask YOU the same thing!" Shastina shouted back. Their Digimon swapped dubious glances, wondering if their partner's exchange of words will get them anywhere.

"I suggest we should concentrate on doing something," Xemon told the other three. "Especially since now that we are back in the Digital World, we can ask Serangmon if he's activated the Merger or not."

"It won't do the Digi-Destined any good if the Real World is utterly crushed by rampaging Digimon," Tigramon added to the argument. "We should find him and demand some answers while there is still a Real World to merge with!"

"Alright then…" Shastina spoke, seeing the logic in both Digimon's words. "Let's move out then!"

"You won't be moving anywhere…" the new voice hissed. Both humans and their Digimon quickly turned towards that direction. Shastina cringed at the sight, retreating a step, though no one noticing.

"Drowsmon!" Tigramon exclaimed, entering a battle pose. Even if he was friendly with them before, the feline's gut instinct told her something else.

"So…you've finally returned…" he spoke, gazing towards the opposite direction. "And with a lot of questions too I see…" The Digi-Destined and their Digimon remained silent, unsure if it was safe to provoke the other Digimon.

"I'll just answer your question for you then," Drowsmon continued, slowly turning his head to face the Digi-Destined. "Serangmon ordered the activation of the Merger program shortly after you left the mansion."

"This was only to show you what the program could do…Of course it seems like you've seen more wrong done then good."

"Got that right…" Xemon muttered sarcastically. Drowsmon ignored the comment.

"I guess all of the Digi-Destined are opposed to the idea…" the Digimon spoke, disappointed. "If so, then you're going to need to defeat all of us to stop the Merger." Again, the Digi-Destined remained silent, until Marc spoke.

"Well…I was hoping it wouldn't come to this…" the 15 year old spoke, slowly raising his Digivice. Shastina followed his lead.

"Don't hold back…" Drowsmon advised them. "In battle…there is no remorse…" Marc sighed, also thinking about that. Both Digivices surged with energy.

"Tigramon…" "Xemon…"

"Digivolve to…"

"Toramon!" "Vormon!"

The two Champion level Digimon growled at the human-like Digimon, ready for battle. Drowsmon, however, only stood his ground, unmoving.

"I give you one free attack…" he offered. "Don't waste it." Both Digimon as did their partners exchanged confused looks.

"Alright, then just let him have it!" Shastina shouted.

"SHUURAI!" "BEAM OF CONVERGENCE!"

Fire, ice, and lightning lashed out towards the stationary Digimon. To some unknown reason, he wasn't fazed by the attack. In fact, the attacks seemed to have been stopped by an invisible wall a few feet in front of the Digimon.

All four were surprised by this turn of events, though Toramon took the initiative, rushing forward.

"DENKOU CLAW!"

The tiger leaped towards Drowsmon with lightning charged claw. Her paw, however, impacted against the invisible wall. The resulting feedback knocked the tiger back, though she landed on her feet.

"Alright, this isn't working…" Shastina spoke, accessing a file on her Digivice. The Crest of Light, though faded, appeared on her screen. "Let's hope it will be a full powered Ultimate…" she thought, raising the Digivice. The Crest glowed brightly, surrounding the Digivice in a shield of white light.

"Toramon…Digivolve to…Siberimon!"

The angel-tiger Digimon bathed in a radiant glow of holy energy, now making the dark armour human-like Digimon be alert.

"Ah, so the Crests have been revealed to you," he spoke, grinning. "This won't be as simple as I thought, especially with the Crest of Light."

"HOLY DAGEKI!"

Siberimon hurled the attack so quickly at Drowsmon that he hardly had time to evade, melting part of his left arm armour on impact. He grit his teeth, unwilling to make a peep of sound with pain.

"I should've known my AE field couldn't protect me from holy…" he muttered, leaping back an incredible distance. "Flairmon, they are yours!" Siberimon was about to chase after the retreating Digimon, before she was stopped by a very large mass of fire.

If anything could describe this mass of fire, it would generally be a large collection of flames, accumulated over decades of destruction.

"TORCH!"

A pillar of fire blasted from the flaming mass, directed towards the Angel. She narrowly dodged the attack, scorching some of her robes in the process.

"HOLY DAGEKI!"

The sphere of holy energy flew towards the fire, however, proving ineffectual. The attack was stopped similar to how Drowsmon stopped the attacks from the Champion.

"It was completely ineffectual…" Shastina spoke, wondering how they would be able to defeat the other 'Digimon'.

"Vormon, try something!" Marc shouted out to the dragon Digimon, who was only watching the battle unfold. The dragon, wasn't sure how, but stepped forward.

"BEAM OF CONVERGENCE!"

The spiral beam of fire and ice soared towards the flaming Digimon. The fire element of the attack nullified against the invisible barrier. The ice half, however, was able to penetrate, breaking apart the flames for a short second before it reconstructed.

"It worked!" Vormon thought, surprised at the effect of his attack. "But…this will still take forever…if only I was able to Digivolve…maybe…just maybe…"

"Come on Vormon…keep going at it…" Marc thought, clutching his Digivice tightly. "You can do it pal…just keep attacking…"

* * * * * *

"What do you mean they disappeared?!" David exclaimed, slamming his fist on the table. T.K. shrugged, unsure of how else to explain the events.

"Davis…I'm sure there's a good reason for this event…" Kari told the hotheaded boy.

"Yeah…I guess…" he responded, quickly calming down upon hearing Kari's voice.

"Would it be possible for a Digital Portal to open?" Cody asked, though not looking up.

"Without a computer?" Yolei spoke next. "Unlikely…"

"Hey, what the?!" Davis shouted, dropping his Digivice onto the table. A light blue aura surrounded the device, before a blue beam of energy shot out and into the morning sky.

* * * * * *

Matt tapped his pencil against his head, trying to solve the next question in his textbook.

"If I keep this up…I'll never have time to practice with my band…" he spoke to no one in particular. He checked the time on his Digivice, before it began to glow in a similar light blue aura. He blinked once, trying to figure out what was wrong, before the light blue streak of energy blasted out of the device and out the window.

* * * * * *

The battle halted for a minute, as two beams of light blue energy spiraled together, becoming one and stopping a few feet away from Marc. The energy slowly formed a sphere, which in turn became a new item.

"It's a Crest…" Shastina spoke, admiring the light blue aura. The Crest entered Marc's Digivice, registering.

"Alright Vormon, let's take it a notch!" Marc shouted, raising the Digivice with the new Crest shining on it. Light blue energy engulfed the device, allowing for another Digivolve.

"Vormon…Digivolve to…"

Bright light engulfed the Digimon, as he slowly got bigger: legs, arms, body, wings, all of it slowly grew in size.

"Crysdramon!"

The new Digimon was dragon like still. He was however twice as large as his previous form, with a crystalline structure body. One could be blinded by refracted light in the Digimon's crystal form. Spikes trailed down his back, obviously a lethal weapon if used properly.

Flairmon was not impressed with the new form however, 'stepping' menacingly towards the new foe.

"TORCH!"

"SONIC SHIELD!"

An energy field appeared in front of Crysdramon, absorbing some of the blast. Crysdramon took the rest, though remained standing, his crystalline slightly scorched from the experience.

"CRYSTAL BURST!"

Crysdramon unleashed a full blast of ice shrapnel towards the flame. Each piece of attack penetrated the barrier. Flairmon had no defense against the storm of ice, slowly deforming, flames losing its power before disappearing. In a matter of seconds, the hunk of flames was reduced to a small core of light red energy, which then disappeared into bits of data, unable to withstand the ice storm.

Crysdramon exhaled, reverting back to his original form. Tigramon applauded her admiration for the dragon, as did Shastina and Marc. Xemon smiled, taking a bow.

Fin

****

Completed: 12/12/00

****

Additional Notes:

Um…incase you haven't noticed…I might have hinted in two certain Digimon liking each other. I guess I should do that. Flame if you must for doing that…

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	15. Episode 15-The Crest of Leadership

****

The Crest of Leadership

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

"So…you're saying that you were able to enter the Digital World despite the fact there was no computer to make a Digi-Port anywhere nearby?" Izzy asked Shastina. Saturday night was the earliest time Shastina was able to meet with the Digi-Destined genius of the group.

"It was so strange…" Shastina recollected. "The first moment, I was standing with T.K. and Kari, then the next, I'm in the Digital World."

"Hmm…for all intents and purposes, I do believe a Digi-Port can be opened without a computer," Izzy told Shastina, beginning to type some more on his laptop computer.

"Why would you say that?" Shastina asked, peering over his shoulder.

"Well, according to a theory I have…a computer emits a certain harmonic frequency," Izzy explained, bringing up a short, recurring program on his computer to demonstrate his point. "No matter who built the computer or what parts are used, the computer will always emit the same frequency."

"Now…this same frequency…in conjunction with a Digivice, can be used to open a Digital Portal to a take a person to or from the Digital World."

"This harmonic frequency however…can be reproduced, albeit difficult, but yes, it can be reproduced," he continued, turning to face the female Digi-Destined. "Certain environments through out the world can also produce that frequency, though possibly at a much weaker level. I believe the new Digivice has the power to amplify that frequency before and thus enabling a portal in the possibly the middle of nowhere."

"Alright…so that MIGHT explain how I was able to enter the Digital World…" Shastina admitted, after going over that theory one more time in her mind. "There's also this other thing that bothers…"

"And what might that be?" Izzy inquired, his curiosity far being abated.

"Our battle with Drowsmon…nothing could _touch_ him except for Siberimon's attack," Shastina told him. "He muttered something about a AE field, before retreating and giving us the pleasure of fighting Flairmon."

"And with that battle, Siberimon's attacks proved ineffectual, but Vormon's Beam of Convergence damaged the fireball, though only the ice element of the attack harmed Flairmon."

"Well…that's…unique…" Izzy wasn't sure how to word his surprise, but conjured his thoughts into an answer he believed plausible. "I believe…this AE field is a barrier that surrounds the Digimon who uses it. I'm not sure what the strength and weaknesses are of this barrier, but, it seems like this barrier can nullify certain elements while others can get by without resistance."

"And both Drowsmon and Flairmon used this 'AE field'?" Shastina asked next, prompting Izzy to nod.

"It would seem the most logical answer to all this," Izzy answered.

"So…I don't suppose you know when the Digivice will open another portal, do you?" Tigramon asked, leaping onto Shastina's shoulder.

"Technically, it should be completely in your control…but…" Izzy was abruptly cut off, when Shastina's white Digivice began to react, collecting energy. "Or…that time could be now," Izzy quickly added, before all three of them were engulfed in light.

* * * * * *

"So…um…this angel is responsible for the recent Digimon attacks around the world?" Michael asked, Betamon sitting on the chair beside him. K.H. nodded his answer, taking a sip from his coke. The two Digi-Destined and their Digimon sat at a table in a coffee shop, chatting about the new developments in the Digital World.

"But he's an Angel…" Michael continued, trying to find a loophole in the Digimon's decision to activate the merger. "Aren't they suppose to be good?" K.H. placed his coke glass onto the table after taking another go at it.

"In a sense, Serangmon is doing a good thing," K.H. reasoned. "He's trying to save the Digital World, which in term counter balance the effect of partial destruction to the Real World."

"But we can't allow that!" Michael exclaimed, nearly leaping to his feet. Betamon 'pulled' his partner back into his seat.

"Of course not," K.H. responded calmly. "Even if we don't want to fight against Serangmon and his generals, we seem to have little choice in the matter." Michael remained silent. His untouched drink sat in front of him.

"Are you going to drink that?" Betamon asked, nudging the boy's side. Michael looked down, smiled lightly, before taking a sip from the cup. "Good…I was getting worried."

Kinoumon glanced over at K.H., before hitting his partner's Digivice lightly. In reaction, the Digivice began to collect energy. K.H., taking notice of the effect, quickly took his Digivice.

"A Digital Portal is opening right here?!" he thought, amazed at the event. Light surrounded the two, getting a few looks from the other patrons. They all turned back to their business, seeing the empty chairs.

* * * * * *

"You're joking, right?" Yasmine asked, unsure how serious to take Tiberius' last remark.

"I'm not joking Yuriko," he told her. "Serangmon is responsible for the recent attacks on the Real World by activating the merger." Yasmine remained deathly silent, as if impaled with a bitter truth that eluded her all this time.

"It something wrong?" Lepumon asked, seeing the saddened look on the older female's face.

"No…it's nothing…" she whispered. Botanimon Yasmine's back, trying to consolidate her. Tiberius decided not to pursue the subject anymore, taking his Digivice from the pocket. Energy slowly began to build up in the device for some unknown reason.

"What's wrong with it now?" he asked aloud, trying to get an answer. "Is it…opening a portal…?" Light blanketed the room for a brief second, then subsided yet again. There was no one left in the room.

* * * * * *

Marc glanced up from his location at the desk, wondering what his guest was doing. Sora was idly poking at some of the books in his room, understanding the titles of each book to a certain degree.

"Hey, what does that book say?" Biyomon asked Xemon in a low voice, making sure not to disturb the serenity of the group.

"Um…I'm not sure…the words are blurred…" Xemon told her, trying to pull the book out. No matter how hard he tried, however, the book wouldn't budge from its' location on the shelf.

"Well, so much for that idea…" Biyomon muttered, examining other areas of the bookshelf. She continued to fly up, before a loud beep suddenly blared around the room. Biyomon, as did the other occupants of the room sharply turned their head towards the source of the sound: Marc's Digivice that sat on the desk.

"Um…and what would that mean?" Sora asked, walking over, as did the other two Digimon. Marc scooped up the Digivice, then turned to face his computer, which he found out was off.

"A Digital Portal opening?" he asked aloud, before the four occupants were sucked into the Digital World.

* * * * * *

There was a large assembly of characters already by the time Marc, Sora, and their Digimon entered the Digital World. Each one turned their head to face the newcomers, only proceeding to confuse the circle of Digi-Destined even more. Finally, one spoke up.

"All right! Everyone settle down!" Tiberius shouted at the top of his lungs. Silence befell the group. "It is quite clear that not everyone here knows each other, so, let's get some introductions in before we decide anything else." Short nods went around the group, each person, as did their Digimon, for those who had their Digimon, saying their name out when asked to.

"Okay…now that is settled, I suggest we get moving," Tiberius continued. "No point standing around and gawking at the scenery." Again, everyone in the ring of Digi-Destined agreed with the idea. Without further talking, Tiberius decided a direction and headed towards the horizon, the group of Digi-Destined following behind, separating into small packs were they felt comfortable in.

* * * * * *

Shastina approached Yasmine. The shop owner seemed saddened by certain events that baffled the American girl for a long time.

"Excuse me…" Shastina spoke, startling Yasmine.

"Oh…I'm sorry…" Yasmine apologized, bowing her head. "Is something wrong?"

"I…was about to ask you that…" Shastina responded, her voice staggering with fear of repercussions. Yasmine quickly smiled.

"No…nothing is wrong," she replied lightly. "I was just thinking…Thank you for asking though." Shastina nodded, withdrawing from her presence.

"Anything?" Tigramon asked. Shastina shook her head, glancing back at Yasmine again, who was now back in deep thought.

"Something is bothering her…" Shastina told her Digimon. "I just don't know what…"

* * * * * *

Izzy coughed lightly, getting the attention of Tiberius instantly. The younger of the two that carried the Crest of Knowledge turned to face the older.

"Is something wrong?" Tiberius asked, stepping towards the other.

"No, it's nothing," Izzy responded. "Just a bad cough. I'm just trying to come up with some other theories about the Digivices."

"Oh?" Tiberius asked, surprised, and now curious about what the older one just told him. "What kind of theories?"

"First of all, can I see your Digivice?" Izzy asked. Tiberius nodded, handing him the item that marked him as a Digi-Destined. Izzy examined the device quickly yet efficiently. "I see it acts like a Digimon analyzer…" Tiberius nods.

"It's also the key to entering the Digital World," Tiberius told him. "At first, I though you would need a computer as well as this device to open a portal, but after getting sucked into the Digital World from another locations, I began to change that theory."

"What have you come up with?" Izzy asked, turning to face the new Digi-Destined and returned the Digivice.

"That given a certain environment, the Digivice can open a portal by amplifying a certain 'force' around us," Tiberius answered. "I know it sounds farfetched but-"

"No, no, no, not at all," Izzy quickly cut him off. "I was thinking the same thing, but I'd also like to add to my theory that it may be possible to open a Digital Portal anywhere in the world, and able to open a Portal in the Digital World that could possibly take you anywhere in the Real World."

"The fact that we are transported to a different location every time we enter the Digital World is enough to believe that it can work vice-versa," Tiberius spoke after a short deliberation.

"Exactly," Izzy agreed. "The question is if we can reproduce an effect to allow us to transport to anywhere in the world."

"You never know until you try, right?" Tiberius joked.

"How true," Izzy murmured, barely audible.

* * * * * *

Yasmine wrapped her arms around her legs that were pulled up to her chest. Sora, Shastina, and Izzy were tending to Tentomon's wounds. The Digimon was in a pretty bad condition when they found him, and the group stopped since most of the party was tired from the trek. Botanimon stayed by her partner's side, but was still deeply concerned with the condition Yasmine was in.

"Water?" Michael asked, offering Yasmine a canteen that he somehow got for the journey that he never knew would happen. Yasmine glanced up, silently shaking her head. "You sure?" he persisted, getting a shove from Yasmine. "Alright…" he spoke in a lowered voice, retreating. He headed towards the direction where Marc and K.H. were.

"What's up with Yasmine?" Michael asked the other two boys. Both boys shrugged, not noticing her condition before.

"She's sad about something…" Xemon spoke, though not loud enough for anyone outside the small circle to hear.

"And it's got something to do with Serangmon and his generals," Kinoumon added in an equally soft tone.

"But about what?" Betamon asked next. The conversation soon become one sided towards the Digimon, and all the Humans could do was to listen.

* * * * * *

"I was wondering when you'll return…" Drowsmon told the crowd. His sudden appearance scared most of the Digi-Destined, but he made no move to assault the group. Silence encircled the Humans and their Digimon. "You should join us…it would be easier on all of you…" Again, there was silence, as no one wanted to respond.

"Why did you turn your back on the Digital World?" Yasmine asked softly, walking towards the Digimon, Botanimon following closely behind.

"Yasmine…" Drowsmon responded, stunned by her appearance.

"Why are you willing to destroy the Real World to save the Digital World?" she continued. "Why can't you take it to the source? What is your purpose…to destroy one world…just to save your own?" Drowsmon remained silent, unable to answer.

"How could you?!" she screamed out. "After all we've been through! You, Botanimon…Serangmon…Axeramon! We ALL defeated Apocalymon!" Sharp gasps came from some of the Digi-Destined that heard this.

"Yasmine…it's different right now…" Drowsmon tried to reason.

"How is it different?!" Yasmine screamed, obviously trying to hold back tears. "You WANT to destroy the Real World as badly as Apocalymon wanted to destroy the Digital World?! How do you think the others would feel?!"

"I don't see how you, a noble Digimon, could turn so cold! HOW!? TELL ME, HOW?!?" Yasmine cried out, dropping to her knees, weeping. Botanimon cradled her partner, trying to calm her down.

There was a long silence, aside from the whimpering young woman. No one made a move, to shocked or surprised by the outburst. Finally, Drowsmon turned around, beginning to walk away.

"The truth will soon be heard…" he muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear. "Remember that Yasmine…the truth will come…" Yasmine glanced up, slowly getting to her feet, ready to chase after the charcoal armoured Digmon.

"Hold it!" Yasmine stopped in her tracks, blocked by an Angel like Digimon before her.

"Sara…don't do this," Botanimon told the Angel like Digimon. The Angel hovered a few centimeters off the ground, her four angelic wings spread out to its full length. Her body was encased in white armour, scarred after numerous battles. Her sapphire eyes regarded Botanimon for a short second, before turning back to the other Digi-Destined. Tiberius quickly analyzed the Digimon.

_Saramon: Angel Digimon. A Digimon who only shows herself to protect the Digital World from harm. Main attack: Divine Charge. Ultimate Level Digimon. AE Field: Gravity_

"And what's this?" Tiberius asked, provoking a glance from Izzy. "AE Field: Gravity?"

"Gravity?" Izzy asked the other in a lowered voice. "But…there is no Digimon with Gravity elemental as its base."

"And does it mean Gravity will penetrate the field, or the exact opposite?" Tiberius asked next. "So many questions, and so little time…"

"DIVINE CHARGE!"

The cross-shaped blast of white energy headed straight for the dual of intellects. If it wasn't for the quick reflexes of their Digimon, the two probably would've been turned to ashes.

"Sara, stop it!" Yasmine pleaded, unable to bring herself to fight with the Angel.

"Yasmine…please understand…" Saramon whispered to her.

"Fine, if it's a fight she wants, she'll have it!" Tiberius shouted out, getting his Digivice. Lepumon nodded, turning to face the Angel.

"Lepumon…Digivolve to…Bukkomon!"

Marc, Sora, and K.H. followed Tiberius example. Michael couldn't do anything, as Seadramon was useless without water around. Izzy couldn't bring himself to Digivolve Tentomon in his weakened state. Yasmine would not fight with the Angel. Shastina had doubts about this battle, as did Tigramon. Neither made a move to contribute to the battle.

"Xemon…" "Kinoumon…" "Biyomon…"

"Digivolve to…"

"Vormon!" "Legionarimon!" "Birdramon!"

Saramon glanced at each of the four Champion level Digimon, before stretching her arms out, as if offering herself to the pain about to be inflicted. The four Digimon weren't sure what the Angel was getting at, but decided to attack. Tiberius, on the other hand, had a gut feeling the attacks would prove ineffectual.

"ROCKET FLARE!" "BEAM OF CONVERGENCE!" "SONIC mandible!" "Meteor Wing!"

The four attacks rocketed towards the Angel, but she held her ground, looking towards the sky. Each blast impacted against an invisible shield, failing to hurt the Angel, but pushing her backwards a bit with the amount of force pressed against her. She glanced back down at the four Digimon, and smirked, seeing no damage done to her form.

"Alright, that didn't work…" Marc muttered.

"More firepower then!" K.H. shouted, loading his Crest into the Digivice. Marc did the same, readying his Digimon for Digivolve. Tiberius, however, didn't load his Crest. He was more interested in seeing if more power would be the key.

"Vormon…" "Legionarimon…"

"Digivolve to…"

"Crysdramon!" "Dirubramon!"

The two Ultimate level Digimon confronted the Angel, but again, she regarded the two Digimon with nothing more then a glance, before offering herself to more 'pain'.

"CRYSTAL BURST!" "Subterranean Tendril!"

Each shard of ice crystal impacted against the invisible shield harmlessly, shattering on impact. Dirubramon's attack also could not penetrate the bubble that protected the Angel from harm. Again, she smirked, raising a hand towards the two Ultimate Digimon.

"DIVINE CHARGE!"

The attack knocked both Digimon onto the ground with a resounding crash. So much energy was charged in Saramon's attack that the two quickly reverted back to their Rookie forms.

"Who's next?" she asked to the Digi-Destined. No one could move after what they witnessed. Nothing could hurt the Angel.

"There is no point in running…" Tiberius spoke, almost whispered. He stepped forward, Bukkomon following behind. "And so…we must fight…to ensure our own survival…"

"Finally…someone who sees the light…" Saramon spoke, heading towards the Human and his Digimon. Tiberius was about to load the Crest of Knowledge onto his Digivice, before black light surrounded it. He stopped, as did Saramon, both curious at the turn of events. Black streaks of energy gathered into the Digivice, forming an image on the screen that was impossible to identify at the moment. More energy gathered, until there was no more to gather. On the screen was another Crest, six triangle aligned in a pyramid like formation, one at the peak, two in the middle, three at the base. All the triangles pointed towards the peak one, which was distinguished with a halo.

"What…Crest is that?" Izzy asked, racking his mind for a solution.

"Tiberius…" Yasmine spoke, very softly. "It's the Crest of Leadership…allowing for a Gravity based Digimon…" Tiberius was taken aback. The key to winning this battle was just placed in his hands, and he had to use it.

"Alright Bukkomon, time to Digivolve!" Tiberius commanded, pointing the Digivice towards his partner.

"Bukkomon…Digivolve to…"

Bukkomon radiated with bright light, armour slowly forming around his body, engulfing him in a sea of silver plating. Blue wings blasted out of his black in a brilliant display, his back painted with black v-shaped stripes. Two metallic shields formed on his forelimbs.

"Raipumon!"

"A challenge…at last…" Saramon whispered between her lips. She raised a hand, pointing it towards Tiberius.

"DIVINE CHARGE!"

The cross went straight towards Tiberius yet again, but Raipumon was quickly in the path of the attack, deflecting it with his shield.

"That's not nice!" the silver armoured Digimon shouted, leaping towards Saramon. The Angel tried to attack again, but it was easily deflected.

"MEGATON SLAM!"

Raipumon jumped at Saramon, passing through her barrier and grabbing her. With one might leap, he headed straight into the sky above, retraining the Angel. A golden glow was visible in the sky before it came streaking back down in a matter of seconds, shaking the ground on impact. A crater was in the ground, Raipumon quickly leaping back up from the new hole. Saramon lay at the bottom of the crater, disjointed. Yasmine mustered some courage and looked over the side of the crater.

"Yasmine…they are worthy…" Saramon spoke weakly, before disintegrating into bits of data.

"Sara…" Yasmine muttered, breaking down into tears once again.

Fin

****

Completed: 12/16/00

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	16. Episode 16-There is Hope

****

There is Hope

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

"So…let me get this straight…" Tiberius spoke. He, as well as Yasmine and their Digimon were back in the Real World. "Serangmon… Drowsmon… Axeramon… Saramon…they all were partnered with a Digi-Destined from your group?" Yasmine nodded. She may not be as sad as she was before, but her heart was still pretty broken.

"Serangmon is a Mega Form…using the Crest of Hope…" she told Tiberius. "Axeramon is an Ultimate with Courage…Drowsmon, Ultimate with Leadership. Saramon…" Yasmine choked when she spoke the Angel's name, but continued nevertheless. "She Digivolved using Light…"

"So…now…we are facing off with the original protectors of the Digital World…" Tiberius muttered, turning away. He sighed, leaning his head against the wall.

"Tiberius…" Lepumon spoke, hopping over to his partner's location. The fourth generation Digi-Destined glanced down at his Digimon. "We have to protect the Real World and the Digital World…" Lepumon paused, trying to muster his courage to say his next thought. "Even if…if it means we have to destroy the original Digimon who protected both worlds."

There was silence. A sense of sadness and depression was around, but no one dared speak about it.

* * * * * *

Silence was the only thing that was talked about between the three Digi-Destined in New York. None of the three Digi-Destined nor their Digimon could believe the latest news of their enemy.

"Palmon…will this mean…" Mimi started, glancing down at her Digimon. "If a fifth generation comes, you'll be fighting them?" The plant like Digimon remained silent, lowering her head to avoid the gaze from her partner.

"The Digimon have to chose to," Michael offered as consolidation. "So…if they choose not to, then there would be nothing to fear…" Michael himself didn't believe the own words he was saying, but he tried to sound as truthful as possible.

"The question remains…" K.H. spoke. "Why would the first generation Digimon want to do this?" Again, silence ensnared the group of six, no one wanting to answer for fear of bitter retaliation.

"I guess…we can only wait and see…" Kinoumon answered. No one moved, only continued to sit and ponder at the question that haunted them.

* * * * * *

"We're fighting each other…" Sora said softly. Marc silently agreed with her statement, sighing.

"It's strange how the tides have changed…" Marc added, leaning back against his chair. The entity known as silence encircled them yet again, before Biyomon spoke up.

"Can't you just defeat them?" she asked. "If they choose this path, then we have to strike against them."

"It's not that simple Biyo…" Sora told her Digimon, patting her lightly on the head.

"We don't want to fight them," Xemon whispered to Biyomon. "But…if worst comes to worst…we might just have to…"

* * * * * *

"There's no choice in the matter…" Shastina spoke softly. "We have to fight them…"

"I REFUSE to fight against the original defenders of the Digital World," Gatomon exclaimed, initially shocked with the new information.

"Gatomon…calm down…" Kari whispered, patting her.

"But...you have to admit…this is a tough decision," T.K. commented, equally as concerned with who their opponent was. He glanced out the window, concern on his face. "I sure hope Patamon is okay…" Gatomon leaped onto T.K.'s shoulder.

"He'll be okay…" she told T.K. "He's a tough one…even if he doesn't look like it. He'll be fine…" T.K. smiled lightly, facing the feline Digimon on his shoulder.

"Well…I guess you would know him better then anyone else," T.K. spoke. Gatomon tuned slightly red.

"And what's THAT suppose to mean?!" she hissed, ready to rip T.K. to shreds. Shastina and Kari giggled lightly, before Kari removed Gatomon from T.K.'s shoulder.

"Now, now, Gatomon…no need to get so worked up," Tigramon teased, prompting a sharp hiss from the other feline.

"Come now, Tigramon," Shastina spoke, lifting her own Digimon. "No need to tease each other." More giggles went around the circle until Shastina's Digivice went off. The giggles ended quickly, Shastina retrieving her Digivice from her pocket. "Well…I guess another portal is opening…" she spoke, before all the occupants of the room were transported to the Digital World.

* * * * * *

Tao sighed, depressed. Nevertheless, he read over Tiberius' e-mail once again, still trying to digest the new facts of their battle.

"You should really stop reading that," Harriermon advised, leaping onto the bed where Tao lay as he continued to read. The bird like Digimon did not need to wear bandages anymore, for his wounds recovered enough. "It's not doing any good for you, Tao," Harriermon told his partner, but the boy failed to respond. "Tao…" Harriermon spoke softly, but didn't know what else to say.

"We're fighting the original defenders of the Digital World…" he muttered. Tao dropped the Digivice onto his night table, staring blankly at the ceiling. "It's just not right…"

"Tao…the decision is hard, but you have a duty to attend to," Harriermon told Tao, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't give up, don't despair, you'll find the path." The human remained deathly silent, unable to answer his own Digimon.

The blue Digivice on the night table slowly accumulated energy, opening a portal to the Digital World and taking the two occupants of the room before any of them could react.

* * * * * *

"BOOM BUBBLE!"

The attack harmlessly ricocheted off Drowsmon's armour, failing to do any sort of damage to the Ultimate level Digimon. Patamon hovered close to the ground, unable to hold his own against the other Digimon. Drowsmon was easily doing much better then his Rookie adversary.

"Don't resist and I'll make this quick, I promise," Drowsmon told Patamon, pointing his sword towards the other Digimon. He cross slashed, but with renewed energy, Patamon dodged the attack, only to get swatted to the ground by the side of Drowsmon's sword. "Say goodnight…" Drowsmon spoke, pointing the sword closely to the other Digimon's neck.

"Why…do you do this?" Patamon asked, weakly from his lack of energy. Drowsmon remained ominously silent.

"Consider it…a test, for the new Digi-Destined," he answered, sword still leveled at the other Digimon. "But for now…saw goo-"

"CELESTIAL ARROW!"

Drowsmon quickly looked up and leaped back, the arrow narrowly missing him. The energy arrow embedded itself in the ground, before disintegrating into nothingness. He looked up, seeing Angewomon quickly fly by. His gaze slowly lowered towards the ground, where he saw Toramon rushing towards him, carrying Shastina, Kari, and T.K. on her back.

"You're…in trouble now…" Patamon told Drowsmon, grinning lightly, coughing in between words. T.K. quickly dismounted even before Toramon came to a complete stop, scooping up the wounded Digimon.

"Patamon…are you okay?!" he asked, definitely concern in his voice.

"Could've been better…but I knew you'd show up…" the Digimon responded, smiling lightly before falling unconscious. T.K. gave Drowsmon an angry look, ready to tear up the Digimon with his own hands for what he did. Kari and Shastina waited for Toramon to halt completely before dismounting. Angewomon hovered beside her partner, regarding Patamon for a split second, before turning her gaze towards Drowsmon.

"You…were the original defenders of the Digital World…" Kari spoke to the Digimon. "I don't see…why you have to do this."

"It will be revealed…in due time…" Drowsmon answered, retreating a step.

"But why can't you tell us now?!" Shastina pleaded, trying to come to a peaceful settlement for this battle. Drowsmon again regarded the three Digi-Destined, slowly turning around.

"Don't turn your back on us!" T.K. shouted angrily. He took a step forward.

"SONIC SWORD!"

Drowsmon quickly rotated again 180 degrees, unleashing the green energy that headed directly towards Shastina. Toramon quickly leaped in the way, absorbing the attack, but was knocked back into Shastina. Both fell, before Toramon reverted back to her Rookie level state.

"Shastina! Tigramon!" Kari cried out, instinctively heading towards the two fallen comrades.

"DARKNESS BLAST!"

Unholy black energy crackled at Drowsmon outstretched palm, unleashing a blast of pure dark energy towards Kari.

"Kari!" Angewomon shouted, leaping in the way and shielding her partner with her angel body. Like the other two, both fell, Angewomon changing back to her Champion form of Gatomon.

"Why you…!" T.K. exclaimed, rushing forward, right fist raised while his left arm still held Patamon. Drowsmon only whipped the side of blade towards T.K., knocking him away and stopping the attack.

Shastina groaned, trying to get back to her feet before cold steel was pressed against her neck. She looked up, seeing Drowsmon placing his weapon by her. She shuddered, the eyes of death looking upon her.

"Any last words?" Drowsmon asked, pressed the side of the blade ever so closer to her neck. Shastina gulped, trembling with fear, remaining silent. "I guess not…" He slowly raised the blade, ready to finish the job.

"CRIMSON STORM!"

The blast of explosive feathers failed to damage Drowsmon because of his AE Field, but it stunned the Digimon enough for Shastina to evade the falling sword. Angered and frustrated with the repeated interruptions, Drowsmon eyes went up, knowing what to expect.

Haeromon divided down towards Drowsmon, Tao riding on the bird's left talon. Drowsmon grinned, glad to see more worthy adversaries worth his time.

"I ask you once…just surrender…" Tao told Drowsmon, leaping down a short distance when Haeromon was a few feet off the ground. Drowsmon muttered a short laugh.

"It is better if we continue the merger…" he told Tao. "In more ways then one…" Tao remained deathly silent, processing his next move. "Fight me, boy."

"I will not," Tao answered, turning away.

"What did you say?" Drowsmon asked, surprised with the answer.

"I told you I will NOT FIGHT YOU!" Tao exclaimed, beginning to walk away. Shastina wrapped Tigramon in her arms, watching the event transpire, as did the other two Digi-Destined.

"You won't fight me?" Drowsmon asked, grunting. "Fine, then I guess you don't want to save your friends either…" Tao stopped in his tracks, slowly turning his head towards the other Digimon.

"You wouldn't DARE…" he hissed. Drowsmon smirked at the other's reaction.

"I would…" he responded darkly. Tao turned around sharply, anger flaring in his eyes.

"If you hurt them…" Tao murmured, gritting his teeth.

"You'll do what?" Drowsmon asked. "You said yourself you won't fight me." Tao's anger subsided, his own intentions muddled in the sea of thought.

"I-I-I…" he stammered, unable to make up his mind. "I don't want to fight him…" Tao thought, looking down at the ground. "He's one of the original Digimon to defend the Digital World. I…can't bring myself to fight someone in that position. It's suicide…and I'd regret it for the rest of my life…" Tao's conflict raged through his mind, unable to come to a settlement with his own self. He glanced up at Shastina. Her eyes pleaded for an answer, seeing the pain he was enduring.

"I need an answer…" Tao thought. "If…I don't stop him…I'll lose my friends…and then…but…why…why…"

"WHY!?" Tao cried out, dropping to his knees, holding his head. Drowsmon continued to watch, somewhat disgusted with how Tao was tearing himself apart.

"Never give up…" he thought, remembering what he also advised to all his friends in any situation. "Despair will only weaken you. I can't afford to be weak now…people are counting on me…"

"I'm in no condition to be a Digi-Destined…" he spoke aloud, slowly getting back up. He glanced at Drowsmon, the two staring eye-to-eye. Tao pulled out his Blue Digivice from his pocket, examined it for a second, then tossed it towards Drowsmon. "If, I can't even make up my mind here…then…there's no way I myself can be a Digi-Destined." Drowsmon looked down at the Digivice by his feet. He kneeled down and took the item in his hand.

"I'm disappointed in you…" he told Tao.

"Go ahead, destroy the Digivice," Tao told the Digimon. "It's not mine to use." Drowsmon regarded the Digivice again, before tossing the device back at Tao.

"The Digivice choose you for a reason," Drowsmon told Tao. "If you don't embrace it, then you will never save your friends." Again, Tao remained silent, trying to figure out what the charcoal-coloured armour Digimon was getting at. Tao slowly lifted his Digivice from the ground, unsure of his worthiness of that item. "You do want to save them…if you don't, then you are definitely not worthy of such an item."

"There is always hope…" Tao thought. "Don't despair…you'll find the path…" Tao closed his eyes, trying to find the inner self he lost. "In life, sacrifices must be made, even if you don't want to. Never give up, there is always hope. Even when the odds seem impossible, that faint glisten of light will guide you through." Tao slowly opened his eyes, Drowsmon idly waiting for a response from the 'Digi-Destined'.

"Even if I don't want to…" Tao spoke softly. "I can't give up. The world is counting on me, and I have to provide torch of hope for them to see!"

T.K.'s Digivice began to react, surrounded with an aura of golden energy, before a streak of same coloured light blasted out of his Digivice, encircled Drowsmon once, then entered Tao's Digivice.

"Wha?!" Each Digi-Destined exclaimed, though Drowsmon fully comprehended what just happened, and smiled lightly, though no one noticed.

"Wait…" T.K. muttered, getting a better look at the Crest. "It's the Crest of Hope!" he shouted out. Tao needed no more encouragement, he knew what he had to do.

"Haeromon…Digivolve to…"

Light surrounded the Champion level Digimon, armour plating beginning to from around his main body. Slowly, energy gathered on his back, forming the shape of a shield the encompassed his entire back. The new Digimon let out a cry of power.

"Kiboumon!"

"Ahh…the power of Hope has revealed itself," Drowsmon commented, nodding. "I appreciate a good fight." With those words, he charged Kiboumon, sword ready.

"LIGHT SPIRAL!"

Kiboumon launched himself into the air, unleashing a white holy energy from his beak that smashed through Drowsmon's AE Field, ripping part of his left armour off, but not wounding the Digimon himself.

"Nice try!" Drowsmon exclaimed, leaping into the air with such force. Kiboumon, however, made no effort to retreat.

"Blazing Heaven!"

The shield on his back split, opening at the bottom. Twin rocket boosters were revealed under the shield, both igniting. With the additional speed, Kiboumon dived down at Drowsmon. Both Digimon collided, and with such speed, no one was sure what happened. The next thing all the Digi-Destined and Digimon noticed was both flying Digimon tumbling back towards the ground in an uncontrollable spiral. Kiboumon quickly changed back to Harriermon, unconscious from the collision.

"Harriermon!!" Tao shouted out, running to catch his Digimon. He dived forward, almost missing the bird. Tao exhaled, slowly getting to his feet, Digimon in arms. Making sure nothing was broken on the bird, he turned his attention towards Drowsmon landing spot, but found no one was there.

"Tao, that was so cool!" Shastina shouted, running towards him while carrying her Digimon. T.K. and Kari followed behind, also carrying their Digimon. With her free arm, Shastina wrapped it around Tao's neck, making sure not to crush either Digimon. "I'm…so happy that you overcame that…" she whispered, trying to contain her tears. Tao, unsure how to react, slowly wrapped his arm around her waist, hugging her back in response.

T.K. and Kari watched the two, happy that there was more then one obstacle overcome in this battle.

Fin

****

Completed: 12/19/00

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	17. Episode 17-Red, Gray, or Green?

****

Red, Gray, or Green?

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

Tao lay flat on his bed, stomach down. He stared at the Crest of Hope bestowed to him during his last visit to the Digital World. Harriermon perched on his left shoulder.

"Do I really deserve this Crest?" Tao thought, placing his Digivice on the night table and laying his head down, Harriermon leaping off his shoulder. "I am full of despair…"

"Never give up…" Tao thought, snorting. "I used to believe that everyday…now…I'm not so sure…" Tao turned rolled over onto his side, staring Harriermon eye-to-eye.

"Does he trust me?" Tao thought. "No one can trust me…I'm so unreliable…so irresponsible…I almost lost my friends…I let my friends down…I don't deserve the Crest of Hope…maybe Marc would be better with it…"

"Tao…" Harriermon spoke softly, breaking his partner's train of thought. "Whatever you're thinking…it can't be good. It's written all over you." Again, Tao entered one of his silent states.

"Listen, friend, Tao," the Digimon continued. "It's as Drowsmon said, the Digivice chose you for a reason. The Crest of Hope chose you for most likely the same reason."

"You have it in you to become better, you just don't see it yet." Tao sighed, half believing the words told to him. "You'll find the path…don't worry, you will…" Harriermon told his partner. Silence soon followed, neither Human nor Digimon speaking their word.

* * * * * *

Shastina sighed, leaning against the balcony railing. Tigramon lay on the couch inside, sleeping peacefully. Shastina held a small picture of her and Tao hugging back in the Digital World that Kari decided to take because 'it was cute'. Shastina smiled slightly, glancing back. She has been spending a lot of time at the Kamiya residence, only because she didn't really have much else to go when she didn't have to attend anything with the program she was in.

"Enjoying?" a voice asked behind her. Shastina turned around, seeing Tai leaning against the doorframe. Shastina smiled lightly, folding up the picture and slipping a note into the hold paper. The picture itself was printed full size on a colour printer that somehow wasn't pixilated on print.

"Shouldn't you be studying for a test for tomorrow?" Shastina asked.

"I should…" Tai muttered, looking away. "But I'm not like Joe…so…"

"It's always good to stay on top," Shastina cut in, turning back around and sighing.

"Something wrong?" Tai asked, stepping towards the younger one.

"What makes you think that?" Shastina asked Tai, not turning to face him.

"Oh, just the fact you've been standing out here for the last two hours or so…" Tai answered, leaning on the railing beside Shastina. "The sun is set, it is night time…and you're still out here. Something has to be on your mind." Shastina remained silent, unable to answer Tai's insight. "It's Hope, isn't it?"

"Hope…?" Shastina asked, turning her head towards Tai.

"The one Hope choose…" Tai elaborated. "You're worried about him. It's like how it is between Kari and T.K." Tai quickly turned to face Shastina. "Of course don't tell her I said that!" he told her sharply. Shastina grinned lightly, nodding.

"But…Tao seems to be in despair…" Shastina remarked, lowering her head sadly. "He's always told me 'there is always hope', throughout the whole year we've known each other…all he continued to say is that. I believe him…but…I am not sure if he believes himself…" Before Tai could respond, Shastina's Digivice began to blast with energy.

"We really have to learn how to open Digi-Portals ourselves…" Shastina commented. One of Tigramon's opened slightly, before she jolted up. With her grace, she ran to her partner and leaped onto Shastina's shoulder, ready for another trip to the Digital World.

"Can't leave without me!" she exclaimed energetically.

* * * * * *

Mimi stretched out her arms, yawning at the same time. K.H. glanced up from his textbook, before returning to it.

"Is that all you can do?" Mimi asked, boredom clearly audible in her tone.

"You know, he's a lot like Joe," Palmon commented, turning to face Mimi. Mimi looked back, smiling lightly.

"Who's Joe?" Kinoumon asked. The four sat around a table in the school library. Mimi decided to join K.H. since she didn't really have else to do, though she was now beginning to regret that decision.

"Just a study freak," Mimi commented casually, leaning against the table. K.H. initially ignored the remark, turning the page on his book.

"That's not a nice thing to say," K.H. remarked with undetermined emotion in his voice. Mimi was about to counter that remark, before K.H.'s Digivice began to go off. K.H. glanced at his Digivice, then set his book into his backpack.

"Well, it was going to happen sooner or later," he explained, standing up and shouldering his backpack. In an instant, the four disappeared. The librarian was to absorbed in her work to even notice the slight disturbance from the only occupants in the library.

* * * * * *

Marc closed his locker shut, ready to get home after a long day at school. He glanced at the locker beside his which remained untouched for the duration of the day. Tao failed to appear at school for the day, and Marc was worried. Shastina e-mailed him about their last encounter, and specifically told the boy to keep an eye out for Tao.

"Well, a little hard to do my job when he's not even here…" Marc grumbled, about to turn away.

"Mr. Durron?"

Marc turned around, seeing a teacher standing before him. He was about Marc's height: 5'10". He wore a red sweater and blue jeans. The man had neatly cut hair and a pair of glasses.

"Mr. Hiroki…?" Marc asked, wondering why this Japanese teacher decided to approach him in the first place. "And what may the pleasure be of this visit?" Mr. Hiroki coughed slightly, trying to pull together his words.

"Before I start, please do not call me by that," he told Marc. "We are out of the classroom, so there is no need to be formal."

"Alright, if you so insist…" Marc replied, cutting off. "And…how may I address you…?"

"My original name was Tsurugi, but I adopted Damon as my first name," he answered. "But before I deviate from the original topic…" he trailed off, revealing a small item from his pocket. "Look familiar?" Marc gasped, wondering the coincidence of something like that happening.

"A Digivice?" Marc spoke in awe. "You…were one of those that traveled with Yasmine?" Now it was Tsurugi's turn to be surprised.

"You know Yasmine?!" he exclaimed, though softly so no one else could hear.

"Yeah…a Digi-Destined in U.K. knows her personally," Marc responded. "Hey, wait…how did you know I was a Digi-Destined?"

"The recent Digimon attack we had," he told Marc. "Took a while to track you down however."

"Oh…I guess I should've known that's how you would've found me…" Marc commented, scratching the back of his head. There was a short kick from his backpack.

"Oh, and please get your Digimon out of your bag…" Damon told the student. "You'll suffocate him if he stays in there…" Marc glanced nervously left and right, before opening the zipper on his backpack, though making sure that Xemon couldn't get out still.

"He'll have enough air now," Marc told the teacher at the school.

"Yeah, easy for you to say!" Xemon shouted out, though muffled by the bag. Again, the dragon like Digimon kicked the bag, ready to tear a hole through it if needed.

"Um…you really need a better way to move with your Digimon…" Damon commented, getting a dirty look from Marc. "I take that back…" Marc grinned, tightening the strap to his backpack and heading down towards an empty hallway. Tsurugi 'Damon' Hiroki followed him.

"Which Crest did you have?" Marc asked, the two walking side by side.

"I had Reliability," Damon spoke, with a sense of pride in his voice. He pushed his glasses back up. "Yasmine had Sincerity, but it's also been a while since I've seen her…"

"Maybe you'll meet her in the Digital World," Marc offered, before his own Digivice began to blare. "Maybe she'll even come now…" Marc concluded. Damon started at him with a dumbfound expression, as the Digivice began to open a Digital Portal.

* * * * * *

"Where…are we?" Mimi asked, blinking in confusion. K.H. looked around, analyzing the surroundings.

"By the looks of it, we are in some sort of building…" he answered, noting the long corridors with multiple doors on each wall. "An office complex of some sort…" he continued turning around. The wall behind him was lined with windows. With much curiosity, he approached the window and looked out. "A sky scraper to be exact…" he concluded, noting the dark clouds that hung above and below, blocking the sun and ground from view. Mimi and their Digimon joined him, also examining the view.

"Um…and how high are we?" Mimi inquired, pressing her hand against the window. K.H. looked down, then back up.

"I'd say about fifty floors above ground…" he told her, continuing to think. "With about anther fifty floors to go."

"You're kidding, right?" Kinoumon asked, just trying to figure out how K.H. could have figured that out.

"I think he guessed it…" Palmon whispered to the Dragon-like Digimon.

"I prefer the term 'educated hypothesis'," he told Palmon, obviously hearing the prior remark.

"And what are we suppose to do?" Mimi asked next, turning around and pressing her back to the glass.

"Explore?" Palmon suggested.

"Well…since we will not accomplish anything by standing here, I agree completely with Palmon," Kinoumon spoke. There was a unanimous agreement between the four. After a short chat, they all decided to take the right path from the three before them.

* * * * * *

"I take it this happens a lot…" Tai told Shastina, quickly looking around.

"I would prefer if there was a better warning when portals decide to open," Shastina remarked bitterly, trying to get her bearings. Tigramon leaped of her shoulder, quickly running down some of the corridors and back.

"Doors, doors, and whole line of windows!" she reported. "Seems like a tower, but I didn't get a good view of the outside."

"Tower?" Tai asked, continuing to look. The walls were white with fluorescent lights hanging on the ceiling. The ceiling was gray, and the floor was carpeted.

"This reminds me of an office building…" Shastina mumbled, taking slight offense to the surroundings. "Never liked these places…"

"They can't all go your way," Tigramon told her partner, leaping back onto her shoulder. "But for now, we shoulder look around. We are not going to get anything done by complaining about the environment." Shastina shot her Digimon an angry look, causing Tai to chuckle, before he decided to pick a direction. Shastina quickly followed behind him.

* * * * * *

"I'll never get used to that trip," Marc complained. He unzipped his bag, Xemon leaping out.

"Get a bigger bag, PLEASE!" Xemon pleaded, inhaling air rapidly. Both Humans chuckled at the Digimon's exaggerated actions. Once the laughing subsided, the three checked out the surrounding area.

"Nice office complex…" Marc commented, picking up Xemon carefully.

"I feel like…this place feels familiar…" Damon remarked, trying to figure out where he's seen this area before. "It'll come back in due time…come on, let's explore…" he suggested, walking down a hallway before Marc could respond.

"You shouldn't let him wander like that," Xemon told his partner. "There may be booby traps around." Marc shook his head at the Digimon's worry, finding it slightly amusing, before running to catch up with the first generation Digi-Destined.

* * * * * *

Shastina pushed the button for the elevator. There was only one button dictating that this elevator only went up.

"Up, up, and up some more we go," Tigramon sang, passing time while waiting for the elevator. The other two Humans remained silent.

There was a soft ding, followed by a short hum as the door opened, revealing the cylindrical interior. The three stepped in.

"Which floor?" Shastina asked, looking up and down the panel. The numbers ranged from 50 to 70. Tai shrugged.

"Pick a random number," he suggested. This time, Shastina shrugged, pushing the sixtieth floor button. The middle number suited her just fine. Tai didn't respond, only watched the doors close and the elevator move up. There was a short buzz of the motors turning before a ding telling the passengers of their arrival. The doors opened with the same hum. The trio stepped out, only to be greeted by anther corridor that resembled what they just entered ten floors down.

"This is really going to be a long day…" Shastina muttered.

* * * * * *

The elevator door slid open, admitting to the four passengers a large open room. The ground was paved with grass, the ceiling stretching high. In the center of the room was a large body of water, not exactly a pond, but also not exactly a lake. Boulders encircled the boundaries of the body of water, with small trees stretching from the ground here and there.

"What is this place?" Palmon asked, stepping onto the grass. "The land is artificial…I can feel it…"

"Possibly a mini-environment…" K.H. spoke. "Sort of a retreat. I think some people find coming to a location like this imitates actually being outdoors."

"I don't see how that works though…" Mimi commented, looking at the walls. They were painted like the sky, with horizons and all. "Wouldn't it be easy to see pass it?"

"Maybe…" K.H. responded, stepping closer to the 'lake'. "I guess it really does depend on the person." Palmon headed towards the 'lake' as well, sitting down on a boulder and dipping her roots into the water.

"The water is good, I must admit," she told the others cheerfully. The plant Digimon kicked her legs, splashing some water about while she was drinking it through her roots.

* * * * * *

"So…how long have you been a Digi-Destined?" Damon asked Marc as the two rode up an elevator. "A couple of months?"

"Just a few weeks," Marc answered, looking up at the elevator floor number. There was a light ding when they arrived. The doors slid open, revealing the same room K.H. and Mimi were in. However, those two and their Digimon had yet to see the new arrivals.

"This place…really does look familiar…" Damon commented, trying to figuring out why. Marc wasn't listening, trying to get the attention of the others while heading over to them. "Wait…if I remember…" Panic and fear struck Damon, recalling the danger of this location.

"Get away from the pool!!" Damon shouted out, scaring Marc and getting curious looks from the other four.

"What? What are you trying to sa-" Palmon was interrupted, a sharp pull on her root forcing her into the water and down below.

"Palmon?!" Mimi cried out, running to the edge of the 'lake' and kneeling down on all fours, trying to find her Digimon companion in the depths below. Marc, with Xemon perched on his shoulder, and Damon rushed towards the others. "Where is she?!" Mimi cried out, unable to locate her friend.

"What happened?!" another voice yelled out. All of them turned around, seeing Tai and Shastina rushing towards them.

"Oh, Tai!" Mimi exclaimed, trying to hold back her tears. "Something…sucked Palmon into the water!" Tai quickly positioned himself near the side of the body of water, also trying to look for Palmon.

"It was a Giasidmon," Damon muttered under his breath, though everyone heard. "A white squid that is about the same size as a Champion level Digimon, though it's an Ultimate level Digimon." All of them turned their head to face Damon. "He likes to take unsuspecting pray from the edge of this pool."

"So…you've had experience with this thing?" Marc asked. Damon nodded.

"I remember now…this was one of the locations we explored while we were on our own journey," he murmured.

"I'd really like to ask for an introduction, but we seem to have more pressing matters to attend to," K.H. quickly butted in. "Come on…where are you…you damn squid…"

As if insulted by those last words, Giasidmon revealed himself, surfacing like a speeding torpedo. Everyone fell backwards, trying to protect themselves from the dropping pelts of liquid. The squid held Palmon in one of his tentacles, lifting the unconscious Digimon above for all to see.

"Well, I think you got his attention," Shastina spoke sarcastically, quickly getting to her feet. Tigramon shook the drops of water off her body, before reeling back, ready to attack. "Alright Tigramon, let's get to work."

"Hey, don't forget about us!" Xemon shouted, referring to both himself and Kinoumon. Both leaped forward, standing beside Tigramon. "Come on Marc, we got a battle to win!"

"You can count on me!" Marc exclaimed, leaping to his feet and getting his Digivice. "Digivolving time!"

"Xemon…" "Tigramon…" "Kinoumon…"

"Digivolve to…"

"Vormon!" "Toramon!" "Legionarimon!"

Giasidmon 'blinked' a few times, trying to figure out if these three Digimon were a joke or not.

"BEAM OF Convergence!" "Shuurai!" "SONIC Mandibles!"

The three attacks speed towards the beast in the water, who only continued to mock the other three. Each attack embedded against the squid, but was then repelled and smashed against the ceiling or wall. Each Digimon retreated a step, unsure how else to attack the squid.

"DENKOU CLAW!"

Toramon decided to wait no longer, and leaped forward, hoping to damage the Ultimate level Digimon with brute force.

In response, Giasidmon tossed Palmon at Toramon with such force the fell back onto the ground, leaving a visible impression on it as they bounced back. Both partners cried out for their Digimon. The impact of the blow forced Toramon back into her Rookie form. Mimi cradled Palmon in her arms as did Shastina to Tigramon. Marc and K.H. exchanged worried looks.

* * * * * *

Joe held the book close to his eyes, studying for his next exam. His Digivice sat on the table, waiting idly to be activated. Joe didn't seem to notice the fact the a gray beam of energy flew out of his Digivice and out the window in his own dormitory.

* * * * * *

Cody swung his wooden staff high, attempting to strike his Grandfather and sensei. He easily parried the blow, and counter attacked. The two continued the exchange of blows, neither gaining an edge on the other.

In Cody's bag, his Digivice began to react, a dull gray colour surrounding it. It wasn't long before that energy as well streaked out of the Digivice and out the window.

* * * * * *

"One down…" K.H. whispered to his partner.

"We'll pull through," Marc responded. "Trust me, we will."

"Yeah, well then I recommend we take it up another level," K.H. suggested, raising his Digivice. Marc nodded, loading his own Crest up. Before either could induce another Digivolve, Giasidmon attacked, lashing out with his tentacles. Vormon was able to defend himself, using his claws and tail to fend of the ensuing mass, but Legionarimon wasn't so fortunate. The first few attacks may have failed to penetrate his natural armour, but the remaining ones hit home, knocking the air of him. With one final blow, he was knocked back, reverting back to his Rookie form.

"Um…that's not cool…" Vormon spoke, stepping back so he can protect Marc from harm.

"Guess it's just you and me now," Marc told his Digimon. "Up to the task?"

"Well…there's no one else to rely on at the moment, now is there?" Vormon respond. "Up the stakes my friend."

"Alright…" Marc replied, lifting his Digivice towards Vormon. However, before the Digital Evolution could be activated, two gray beams of energy sailed past Giasidmon, whirled around his body, then spiraled up Vormon from toe to head. In the end, the final destination was Marc's Digivice.

"I'm guessing that's the Crest of Reliability, guessing from the colour and all," Damon spoke. Marc wasn't sure how else to approach the situation, but having the ability for another Ultimate appealed to him.

"Reliability it is then!" Marc exclaimed, pointing his Digivice towards Vormon.

"Vormon…Digivolve to…"

The bipedal dragon Digimon fell to all fours, blinding light engulfing him. His body slowly got bigger, his wings merging with the new body. His head stretched forward, forming a long neck attacked to the body. The light subsided, revealing the new Dragon Digimon with light blue scales. He cried out in triumph.

"Metamorphazimon!"

The new blue dragon looked up at the squid, who was bigger, but definitely not all that more powerful. Metamorphazimon leaped into the water, readying to take the battle on new terrain.

"LIQUID STRIKE!"

The ball of liquid erupted from his mouth, smashing against the Digimon. The attack wasn't repelled as Giasidmon recoiled backwards. He was angered, lashing out with his tentacles again. The first attack hit home, however, the Dragon Digimon fell apart into a heap of water. Giasidmon started at the location the dragon was just at, trying to figure out where the other Digimon was.

"TIDAL WALL!"

A convergence of water zoomed in front of Giasidmon. A large wall of water that slowly ensnared the squid and dragged him under. There was a loud but muffled cry from under the water, a white tentacle above the surface, flailing about, before it slowly sank back into the water. Marc slowly approached the side of the lake, wondering if it was safe.

Xemon leaped out of the water and right into Marc's arms, soaking the teenager.

"No more squid!" he exclaimed happily. Marc smiled, pulling the Digimon closer and ignoring the bitter cold water on him.

* * * * * *

Marc sat down, kneel pulled to his chest, watching the 'lake' where they were just attacked. The others were chatting. Xemon was drying himself off, shaking water onto everyone.

"Hey…Marc…" Shastina asked, approaching him. He looked back at the female. "Please do me a favour…" she asked. Marc wasn't sure what she wanted, but nodded in agreement.

"Give this to Tao," she told Marc, handing him a folded piece of paper. Marc took the paper, examined it for a moment, then placed it into his pocket.

"Consider it done," Marc told her. She smiled lightly.

"The Crest of Reliability choose you for a reason," she replied, leaving the boy alone in thought.

"I guess it did…" he whispered, lying down on the artificial grass. "I guess it did…"

Fin

****

Completed: 12/27/00

****

Additional Notes:

Don't ask where the name of Vormon's Reliability Ultimate came from, Marc made it up out of the blue. Ask him. =)

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	18. Episode 18-Crimson Aura

****

Crimson Aura

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

Marc handed the piece of paper to Tao, who decided to show up for school the very next day. Tao stared at the paper in his hand questioningly.

"What is this?" he asked the taller boy.

"It's from a friend," Marc replied, bowing his head slightly and walking off towards his next class. Tao gave the other a curious glance, though Marc didn't see it. Tao unfolded the piece of paper, seeing a picture of him and Shastina hugging in the Digital World. A small piece of paper was also placed in the folded picture.

_Never give up. I'll always be here for you._

~Shas

Tao regarded the letter for a minute, unsure of how to make of it. He checked time, noticing that Math class was going to start in about 30 seconds.

"Aww…screw Math," Tao muttered, pocketing the picture and the letter. He took his coat and shouldered his bag, heading outside to the tree where Harriermon and Biyomon were perched.

"Harriermon, we got to do something!" he shouted towards his Digimon. Harriermon nodded, turning to face Biyomon.

"Be quick Harrier," Biyomon told the male counterpart. He nodded, leaping off from the tree and onto Tao's shoulder. The two began to walk off.

"There something between you two?" Tao asked, causing the bird to blush.

"What makes you think that?" he asked, a bit embarrassed.

"Intuition," Tao responded, smiling lightly and continuing to walk down the path. He retrieved his Digivice, hoping to open a portal.

* * * * * *

K.H. checked the time. Only a few more minutes before he would be relieved from school. The grinding of chalk against the blackboard was getting to his nerves, and he'd be happy if it would just stop now.

The bell range, which was promptly followed with a shuffle of books and feet as students filed out. The teacher tried to assign more work, but to no avail. K.H. was quickly out of the room and heading towards the computer lab, where he deposited Kinoumon.

K.H. pushed through the doors to the computer lab, glancing left and right to make sure no one was around, before calling out his Digimon's name.

"Kinoumon, come on," he spoke. "We're going home." The dragon like Digimon leaped out from underneath a table. K.H. took the Digimon into his arms, patted him on the head, then began to head out. At least, the teenager hoped to get out of the room, until his Digivice began to go off. "Or, we're taking another field trip to the Digital World," K.H. told his Digimon.

"At least there's no bus fare," Kinoumon responded, smiling lightly.

* * * * * *

"I think we should ask Tiberius to figure out how to open these Digital Portals ourselves…" Marc told Xemon. The Dragon Digimon stood by his side, surprised with the sudden opening.

"Be thankful it was after Math class," Xemon told his partner.

"True," Marc agreed. It wouldn't do him justice if he suddenly vanished from Math class, especially when he was writing an answer down at the front of the class.

"Well…shall we start moving?" Xemon asked. Marc nodded, heading forward from the location they were at.

* * * * * *

Shastina blinked once, staring out towards the rising sun. She failed to get any sleep that night, and was standing on the balcony of the Kamiya residence. The golden glow of the sun splashed against her face, but she didn't seem to mind it at all.

"Couldn't get any sleep?" Kari asked from behind, yawning. "It's six in the morning…you were up that long?" Shastina remained silent. Tigramon was peacefully sleeping with Gatomon back in Kari's bedroom. She knew however, that Kari's look of tiredness turned into something much more serious.

"You're worried about Tao…" she stated, not questioned. Shastina grinned lightly, her back still turned to Kari.

"It's nice to be so predictable, isn't it?" she asked, though not expecting an answer. Kari's expression turned to one of concern now, but was interrupted with a short and light rapping against the door. Both Shastina and Kari turned to face the door.

"I got it," Kari told Shastina, heading over. Shastina didn't say anything, only turned her head back towards the rising sun.

"Oh my…" Kari gasped, just loud enough for Shastina to hear. "How…did you get here?"

"Finally figured out that Digivice…" a familiar voice answered. Shastina lifted her head, recognizing the voice instantly.

"Um…this way then…" Kari told the other person.

"I…guess I shouldn't have intrud-" he didn't finish the sentence, as Shastina was already on him and hugging him.

"Tao!!" she exclaimed, overjoyed to see him. She didn't care about explanations or reasoning, she was just glad to see this boy.

"Sure, everyone ignore me…" Harriermon muttered. Kari giggled, closing the door.

"And how have you been doing Harriermon?" Kari asked, kneeling down beside him. "Everything fine between you and Biyomon?" Harriermon blushed yet again, trying to hide it. Tao and Shastina stopped talking and glanced over at the bird Digimon, who remained ominously silent.

"Sora sent Tai an E-mail, who forwarded it to me, about these two," Kari told Tao. She patted the bird on the head. "Don't answer, I'll just leave to my imagination," Kari told Harriermon.

* * * * * *

K.H. trudged along, attempting to figure out the purpose for this visit to the Digital World. Kinoumon remained diligently by his side throughout the entire trek.

"Maybe there is no purpose to this trip," Kinoumon suggested. He thought about that for a second. "Nah…there's always a purpose."

"Glad we agree on something," K.H. told his Digimon. "The question is…what is this purpose?"

"Crest come into mind…" Kinoumon responded after a bit of deliberation. "Only you and Shas do not hold two Crests, unlike the other three Digi-Destined."

"Possibly…" K.H. mused, partially agreeing with the theory. "But there could also be more behind this trip then that?" Kinoumon glanced up at his partner.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, running to the boy's other side.

"Just a bad feeling…" K.H. answered softly. "A very bad feeling…" Kinoumon decided not to pursue the subject anymore, and continued to walk in step with K.H.

* * * * * *

"TORMENT AERO!"

Axeramon slashed his weapon in an upward arc, scarring the ground. A blast of wind energy rocketed from the slash, ripping up the ground as the attack trailed towards Crysdramon. The dragon Digimon narrowly evaded the attack, breathing hard when he had a chance.

"It's Ultimate to Ultimate!" Marc shouted. "Let him have it, Crysdramon!"

"CRYSTAL BURST!"

The blizzard of ice shrapnel lashed out at Axeramon. The humanoid Digimon held his weapon in one hand, protecting his face with the other. Sharp and jagged pieces of ice embedded against his armour while other ricocheted harmlessly off. The storm subsided, Axeramon lowering his arm. With a quick chop of his arm, he knocked all the embedded pieces off his armour.

"That's no storm," he told Crysdramon, smirking and raising his free hand.

"INFERNO CRIMSON!"

Sparks of fire erupted from his hand and went flying towards Crysdramon. The fire, albeit little, altogether would have a enough fire to melt rock.

"SONIC SHIELD!"

Crysdramon erected a shield of energy, hoping to absorb at least half of the bits if kindle charging at him, but his shield might not be able to last that long. He glanced at his partner nervously.

"We need some back up…" Marc thought, holding the red Digivice tightly in his hand. Holes were already forming in Crysdramon's shield, one of the pieces of kindle smashing into his chest. He grunted in pain, but maintained the shield. "Come on…there's got to be a ray of hope somewhere…"

* * * * * *

"So…you opened a Digital Portal over there…" Izzy restated. "And after a little time, opened another Digital Portal leading to here?" Tao nodded. He, Izzy, Tai, Kari, and Shastina with their Digimon sat in the computer room at the Kamiya residence. Izzy came right over as soon as he heard the news. "So…I guess my theory about being able to travel to anywhere in the Digital World AND the Real World is true…"

"I'll admit now, it is very convenient," Tao told the others, placing his hand on top of Shastina's hand. She glanced up at Tao, who glanced back. Both exchanged glances, before letting go. Tai whispered something to Kari, who in turn gave a short giggle. Shastina looked ever farther away, getting an idea what the topic of that whisper was.

"But the good thing to know is that you've figured out how to open Digital Portals," Izzy told the others.

"Well…I wouldn't take all the credit," Tao spoke. "Tiberius sent me an E-mail suggesting something, and I decided to try it out."

"Consider it a joint effort then," Tigramon piped in. She smiled lightly from her position on Shastina's lap.

"It's just nice to know what our Digivices are capable of doing," Tao spoke, leaning back against the wall. "And now, we don't have to worry about getting sucked into the Digital World during class."

A short laugh went around the group of Digi-Destined and Digimon.

* * * * * *

Crysdramon cried out in pain, getting knocked backwards. Light surrounded him as he fell, rolling across the grass in his rookie form.

"Xemon!" Marc exclaimed, running to the Digimon and cradling him in his arms.

"I'll admit…it now…that was not cool…" Xemon spoke weakly, and forcing a grin. Marc pulled the dragon Digimon closer to his chest. Axeramon slowly headed towards the Human, menacingly raising his weapon, ready to slice the Human into two. "Marc…run…" Xemon spoke, closing his eyes. "Run…" he repeated once more. Marc refused to move, just stood frozen in his kneeling position.

"Is this courage…or cowardice?" Axeramon asked, pressing one of the blades of his weapon against the back of Marc's neck, though not forcefully. "Embrace the void…or too scared to move?" Xemon forced a light growl, although it made him cough.

"I'll take it as cowardice then," Axeramon concluded, raising his weapon.

* * * * * *

Tao sat outside on the balcony, back pressed against the wall. He held his Clarinet to his mouth, playing high and soft tones. Harriermon perched himself on the balcony railing, admiring the music.

Shastina watched Tao from inside the apartment, also admiring the music, but also feeling sad for the player.

"That's a really nice tune…" Kari commented, approaching Shastina. Shastina sighed, looking towards Kari.

"He doesn't think so," she told the other Digi-Destined. "Kari…I don't know what to do…" Shastina confessed. Kari turned herself to face Tao again.

"Talk to him…he's alone…" Kari answered after a moment of thought. "He believes…he wants to be alone…but at the same time…his heart doesn't want to be."

"He's in turmoil…" Kari concluded, placing a hand on Shastina's shoulder. The two were silent, before Kari left.

* * * * * *

"Damn, you're crazy!" Marc exclaimed, kneeling down, K.H. beside him. K.H. held an open wound on his left arm, trying to keep the blood from pouring out. Axeramon's blade was pressed on the ground, tainted with K.H.'s blood. Kinoumon was beside K.H., anger in his eyes.

"Crazy…just call it reckless courage," K.H. joked, getting to his feet. Marc continued to kneel.

A moment ago, K.H. knocked Marc out of the way of Axeramon's weapon, but in the process, got cut over the left arm. The boy didn't give a cry of pain, only asked if Marc was all right.

Blood continued to seep from the wound. K.H. tried his best to keep the wound closed, but it was difficult.

"Reckless courage?" Axeramon asked, removing his weapon from the ground. "You think to lowly of yourself." K.H. grinned, taking his Digivice.

"You won't have anything to think about once I'm done!" he exclaimed. "Kinoumon, Digivolve!"

"Kinoumon…Digivolve to…Legionarimon!"

The ant like Digimon approached the humanoid one, clashing mandibles together. Axeramon grinned, knowing full well he had the ability to defeat a Champion level Digimon.

"You're going to have to try harder," he told the Digi-Destined. K.H. gritted his teeth, still trying to keep his wound closed.

"I'll show you harder!" K.H. yelled out, taking a step forward but falling over onto a knee. His eyes began to blur. Legionarimon stepped back, trying to support the boy with his body.

"Courage…he's got courage…" Axeramon thought. "But it won't do him any good if he's dead…" Axeramon looked up, then rushed forward, ready to strike Legionarimon.

"NO!" K.H. shouted, with renewed energy stepped into the way of the attack meant for his Digimon. Legionarimon had no time to react, his side exposed while trying to protect his partner.

K.H. fell over, knocked onto the ground. Slowly, he got back up, grinning slightly.

"Next time…try using the blade…" he remarked. Axeramon remained silent, knowing full well he used the side of the axe head for the attack. "Alright Legionarimon…let's get serious." K.H. loaded the Crest of Logic onto his Digivice.

* * * * * *

Davis was kicking the ball back and fourth outside on the soccer field. Only he was on the field, and he was enjoying his time dribbling the ball and juggling it about. Of course, if he were paying attention, he would've noticed the crimson streak that flew out of his duffel bag on the sidelines.

* * * * * *

Tai and Izzy were discussing about the new Digi-Destined, trying to figure out the source of the energy drain on the Digital World.

"Tai…if the First Generation Digimon said they don't know, then what makes you so sure we can find it?" Izzy asked, clicking away at the computer.

"They lied once," Tai reasoned. "Why not again?" Before Izzy could counter, Tai's Digivice began to react. Both Second Generation Digi-Destined stared at it, before a red streak blasted out of it and out the window.

* * * * * *

The twin beams of light merged into one, zipping past the battle location and turning back around, hovering beside K.H. A small symbol was in the middle of the aura which neither Digi-Destined nor Digimon could decipher, except for one.

"So…the Crest of Courage has finally chosen someone…" Axeramon thought, smiling lightly. The beam entered K.H.'s Digivice, automatically loading.

"Um…dunno…but I think you better try it out, K.H." Marc suggested, finally getting to his feet. K.H. was silent, still weak from the loss of blood, but had little choice in the matter. K.H. weakly held the Digivice towards Legionarimon.

"Legionarimon…Digivolve to…"

The ant like Digimon slowly changed in form, his hind legs merging into one as his body curved upwards. The forearms slowly retracted back into his body. Soon, when all was complete, there was a large serpentine form with a long tail to support the body. There was a large pincer at the end of the tail. His arms were composed of pure fire, with a large crimson fin coming out of his back. His eyes were barely noticeable under the helmet he wore.

"Epralmon!"

The Digimon hissed at Axeramon, ready to fight the other Ultimate. Axeramon rushed forward, axe-like weapon ready.

"BURNING PINCER!"

Epralmon's pincer engulfed in fire, raising up and grabbing the pole of the weapon. Axeramon tried to force the weapon down, but couldn't force the weapon any further down.

"ABSOLUTE CROSSFIRE!"

Epralmon's arms extended forward, slashing at the crimson armour of Axeramon. He cried out, dropping back from the serpentine Digimon. His pain subsided, the humanoid Digimon forcing a smile.

"Well fought," he commented, standing up straight. "Until next time then!" he shouted, before leaping away. Epralmon was about to pursue until K.H. dropped to his knees.

"Well…that was…fun…" he spoke weakly, falling over.

"K.H.!" Marc and Epralmon shouted, running to his side. Marc quickly tore a piece of his shirt off and wrapping it around the wound.

"Damnit…you shouldn't have been fighting in this condition…" Marc thought, cursing himself for allowing K.H. to do that. Epralmon reverted back to his Rookie form.

"Will he be okay?" Kinoumon asked, definite concern in his tone. Marc checked K.H.'s vital signs, and exhaled.

"He'll be fine…just give him some rest," Marc answered, raising K.H.'s left arm to keep some blood from flowing up to his arm. Kinoumon also exhaled, licking K.H.'s cheek.

* * * * * *

"The Crest of Courage has found its user," Axeramon told Serangmon. Drowsmon stood still, listening to the report.

"So…there's only one more Crest to be revealed then…" Serangmon mused, standing up. "Excellent."

"So…what shall we do now?" Drowsmon asked anxiously.

"We wait…" Serangmon responded. Silence befell the room the three were in.

Fin

****

Completed: 12/30/00

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	19. Episode 19-Teardrop

****

Teardrop

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

K.H. blinked a few times, trying to regain his senses. His vision focused in front of him, with Kinoumon watching over him intently.

"He's awake!" Kinoumon exclaimed. The Dragon-like Digimon had a grin ear to ear, happy to see his partner.

"Keep it down…" K.H. told Kinoumon softly, sitting up and shaking the dizziness from his head. Marc quickly came over to him, as did Marc's Digimon.

"Don't move around so much…" Marc suggested. "You're still weak from the last battle." K.H. initially ignored the advice, but when moving again, and getting dizzy yet again, decided to follow Marc's instructions. The injured boy looked around, trying to figure out the new environment.

"Wait…this is…my room?" K.H. spoke aloud, now confused as well as dizzy. "Or is it just my head that's throbbing?"

"No, it's not your head. This is your room." K.H. heard, recognising Kinoumon's voice.

"How is that possible?" K.H. asked, shutting his eyes in an attempt to subdue the spinning in his head.

"I got an e-mail from Tao," Marc answered. "He wrote it in Japan…"

"So…would that mean…" K.H. spoke, hard to think with the pounding against his head. "He figured out…how to open Digital Portals and use them to go around the world…" K.H. 'saw' Marc nod, despite his eyes being closed.

"Fun to know that we won't be randomly summoned to the Digital World anymore," Kinoumon remarked. Xemon agreed.

"I'm not so sure about that…" K.H. retorted. Both Digimon and Digi-Destined turned their attention towards the wounded comrade.

"What are you implying?" Marc questioned. K.H. exhaled, collecting his thoughts.

"We've been summoned all this time before," K.H. spoke. "So that means we can still be summoned whenever and wherever. The ability to open Digital Portals on our own is just a convenience. They may still need our immediate attention when danger arises."

"Well…I guess I should've thought of it that way…" Marc commented, looking away.

"Guess that's why K.H. has the Crest of Logic!" Kinoumon exclaimed.

"And Courage…can't forget about Courage," Xemon spoke. "You saved Marc today, and I thank you for that." K.H. forced a light smile. Marc patted his Digimon over the head, glad for K.H.'s intervention in that previous battle.

"I owe you one K.H.," Marc told his comrade.

"Just put it on my tab," K.H. joked, turning his head to the side. The boy finally realised he was lying on his own bed, closed his eyes and began to doze off, proud of his achievements.

* * * * * *

Marc flopped onto his bed, exhausted after a long day's work. A quick trip from K.H.'s room to the Digital World and back to his own room only took about half an hour, since it takes some time for the Digivice to regenerate enough energy to open another portal. To Marc, the trip seemed forever in his exhausted state.

"Tired?" Xemon asked, leaping onto the bed. Marc nodded slowly, fluffing up his pillow.

"Good thing it's a Friday," Marc told Xemon. "I can sleep in tomorrow." Xemon grinned lightly, curling up beside Marc and preparing to get some shuteye.

"G'night, friend," Marc spoke.

"Good night to you too Marc," Xemon replied, closing his eyes. Marc turned off the light on his night table before closing his eyes as well.

* * * * * *

Tao quickly disassembled his Clarinet and replaced it in his pouch by his side.

"Leaving already?" Shastina asked, watching him.

"It's past Midnight back in Toronto," Tao answered. "I'm going to have a hard time explaining this to my parents…if they get back home before I do."

"Huh?" Shastina asked, wondering what was happening.

"Oh, just my mom and dad were invited this really fancy party or something," Tao explained. "They said they probably won't be back until late at night or even possibly early morning. I don't want to take any chances though." Shastina nodded, realizing what kind of trouble Tao could get in if he had to explain himself.

"So…um…when's the next time you can visit?" Shastina inquired, hoping for a positive answer.

"I…really don't know…" Tao responded. Shastina's smile turned into a frown, before turning back into a smile again. She leaned down beside Tao.

"Then…I'll visit you…" she whisper in his ear. She smiled coyly as Tao recoiled from the response.

"And…pray tell…how am I going to explain that to my parents?" Tao asked, regaining his composure and standing up.

"I'm sure you will think of something," Shastina told him, smiling. "You always do…" she added softly. Tao didn't respond. He made sure his Clarinet pouch was secure, then headed for the door to get his shoes.

"You leaving?" Tai asked, looking up from his discussion with Izzy. Tao nodded, tying his shoelaces. Harriermon, upon hearing the news, approached his partner. Shastina, unable to stay silent much more, also donned her shoes.

"What are you doing?" Tao asked.

"Just thought I'd escort you home," she replied, smiling lightly. Tigramon was surprised that Shastina would do something like that, but at the same time, happy that she would.

"It shows her caring and loving relation with Tao," Tigramon thought, leaping towards them. Tao stood up, patted his pants, and then pulled out his Digivice. He didn't have the energy to argue with Shastina, especially when she usually wins these kinds of arguments.

"Come back soon," Kari told Tao. "Your music playing is very nice."

"Not really…" Tao muttered. He took Shastina's hand. "Hang on, it's a bumpy ride." With those final words, he activated the Digital Portal, sucking the two and their Digimon into the Digital World.

* * * * * *

Tiberius clicked furiously away at his computer, searching for a certain piece of information he needed. He downloaded his Digimon Analyzer program onto his computer, and now, there was something he was looking for. It didn't bother the boy that it was five thirty in the morning.

"Ah ha…here it is…" he whispered. He didn't want Lepumon waking from his slumber.

"Darkness Blast…" he read aloud, albeit softly. "An attack designed to annihilate the target and anything within a certain radius from existence when used upon full power. However, the attack is also generally used just to knock down a foe with Gravity/Unholy energy."

"The unusual apparatus of this attack is the long term affect. When used for the general ability, the attack impacts, knocking the foe down. The energy afterwards is nullified."

"A low energy attack, however, has a completely different attack. On impact, the foe feels nothing. The energy from the attack does not nullify like before, but instead, enters the target's body and begins to wreck havoc on the system. The one infected will usually die within three days."

"The only cure is if the user of Darkness Blast nullifies the energy from the attack voluntary or if that Digimon is deleted." Tiberius read that entire explanation again, unable to believe the seriousness of the attack.

"Tiberius…what's wrong?" Lepumon moaned, turning from the bed to face the computer. "You're still searching?" Tiberius was silent, only turning off his computer and getting into the bed as well. "Did you find it?"

"No…I didn't," Tiberius told Lepumon.

"Oh well…too bad…" Lepumon spoke, yawning. He quickly fell back asleep. Tiberius kept his eyes open, though placing his glasses onto the night table. He couldn't sleep after what he just read.

* * * * * *

"Shas, why did you want to come?" Tao asked once the four materialized in the Digital World. She shrugged, leaning against his arm.

"Well…since two minutes in the Digital World is equal to one in the Real World…" she told him. "We basically doubled our time. So…I dunno…let's just spend the amount of time it takes for the Digivice to recharge in the Digital World together." Shastina turned her gaze towards the other two Digimon.

"Alone, I presume," Tigramon told the two, before grabbing Harriermon's wing and dragging him off somewhere. Shastina smiled, happy that her Digimon was so understanding.

"So…um…what do you want to do then?" Tao asked, unsure with how else to proceed with the current event. Shastina giggled lightly, looking around. A sea of forest surrounded them, though there was still enough sunlight shining through to light their way.

"This way," she told him, pulling farther into the forest.

* * * * * *

"I'm taking a wild guess here…but I think they like each other," Harriermon told Tigramon. The two sat in a tree, keeping an eye on the two but making sure not to hear their conversations and not be heard themselves.

"It's the same thing between you and Biyomon…" Tigramon responded, keeping an eye on Shastina. Harriermon remained quite, unwilling to respond to that remark.

"We shouldn't be spying on them," Harriermon spoke next.

"We aren't spying," Tigramon replied. "We are just protecting our friends, nothing more." Harriermon shook his head, but could understand the logic behind that reasoning.

"Protecting it is then," Harriermon agreed.

* * * * * *

Tao leaned back against a tree, playing his Clarinet softly. Shastina was beside him, also leaning back against the tree and her head on Tao's shoulder. Tao tried not to move that arm around so much as he didn't want to knock Shastina's head around.

"Your music is so sweet…" Shastina sighed, closing her eyes. Tao glanced at her, but didn't stop his playing. "I don't see why you think everything you do is bad," Shastina commented. Tao continued to play, though there was hints of his tone getting flatter.

"I mean…look at you!" she told him. "You're writing is good, you play excellent, you get very good marks in school…" Shastina was trying to think up more things to say.

"But most of all…" Shastina told him. "You're a really good friend, even if we haven't had personal contact for very long." Shastina lowered her head. "And…I guess…I thank you for helping me through those troubled times every time we were on-line." Tao stopped playing now, staring at Shastina.

"I haven't done mu-" Tao answered, but was hushed when Shastina placed a finger against his lips.

"Hush boy, you know you've done a lot, you just don't like to admit it," Shastina told him. Tao again was about to respond, but before he could, Shastina kissed him on the cheek.

Tao shut up for good now, turning a bit red with the incident. That was something he truly didn't expect from this short field trip.

"Like it?" Shastina asked, with a smile ear to ear. Tao also smiled, regaining his composure.

"I'm sure you'll like this too," Tao spoke, kissing her back against her cheek. Now it was Shastina's turn to blush as well as look away.

"You sly boy, you," she whispered, smiling.

"You should be the one talking," Tao retorted, grinning. Shastina grinned back, snuggling up against him.

* * * * * *

"Yeah…those two really like each other," Tigramon commented. "Well, Shastina's always talking about him." Harriermon remained silent, watching the two, who were unmoving. Well, he was watching until something caught his attention.

"Hey, what's that?" he asked, turning Tigramon's attention away from their partners.

"I don't see anything," Tigramon muttered angrily, but changed. "Wait…" The Tiger Digimon could distinctly see a humanoid like person heading towards the two. A very green humanoid being to be exact. "Who is that?" Tigramon asked.

"I dunno…" Harriermon answered, trying to get a better view without revealing himself. "Think we should alert Tao and Shastina?"

"No…not yet…" Tigramon spoke after a bit of thought. She entered a 'combat readiness' mode, keeping a close eye on the actions of this new being. "Let's see what happens first…we don't want to give a false alarm." Harriermon nodded in agreement, also keeping alert, ready to attack at the first sign of danger to his friends.

* * * * * *

"Are you…the Digi-Destined?" the voice asked. Both humans looked up, seeing a humanoid like being in front of them. She wore a 'leaf' skirt and her hair was made up of vine tendrils. Her arms were made of bark and wood with extremely point edges. "It doesn't matter, I know," she answered. Both Digi-Destined blinked in confusion. "But it doesn't matter…time to die!" With those words, the person lifted her arm and was about to stab her sharp roots into their bodies.

"GALE WING!"

Harriermon reacted fast, slamming into the backside of the attacker and knocking her aim off. Her hand was thrust into ground, allowing time for Shastina and Tao to scramble to their feet. Tigramon leaped in between the two Digi-Destined and the attacker, growling viciously.

"That's Viramon," Tigramon informed. "A plant like humanoid Digimon, as you can see. I couldn't tell who it was at first, but if I'd known, I would have warned you in the first place."

"Yeah," Harriermon continued, flying beside Tigramon. "Viramon are known for their killing tendencies. Everyone stays away from them."

"NEEDLE BIND!"

Viramon's arm stretched out quickly, ensnaring Harriermon before he or Tigramon could react. The roots were slowly crushing his body, though Harriermon was more concerned about the needle point from the bind that slowly advanced towards his eye.

"Let him go!" Tao shouted, running forward. Unsatisfied, Viramon used the arm that held Harriermon like a bat, swatting Tao away. He feel over, groaning from the force of the blow. Harriermon cried out for Tao, before he also yelped in pain from the crushing vines.

"You're asking for it!" Shastina yelled out, grabbing her white Digivice. "Tigramon! Take it to the next level!" Her Digivice surged with energy.

"Tigramon…Digivolve to…Toramon!"

Toramon roared out at Viramon, before leaping towards the plant like Digimon. In order to be fully ready for the attack, Viramon idly discarded Harriermon, tossing him against a tree and knocking him unconscious.

During this time, Shastina ran towards Tao, trying to get a feel for his injuries.

"I don't look to good, do I?" Tao asked, smiling lightly.

"You'll be fine…" Shastina whispered, holding the injured boy in her arms.

"You don't believe that…do you?" Tao asked next.

"Of course I believe that!" Shastina exclaimed, wondering what kind of question he was asking. "You're always pessimistic."

"And…how long did it take you to figure that out?" Tao questioned, smiling lightly and slowly getting to his feet with a little help.

"A while, but yeah…I figured it out," Shastina responded honestly, supporting Tao when he got onto his feet.

Toramon fell back in pain, getting knocked around by those arms of Viramon.

"Toramon!" Shastina exclaimed, but failing to move so she could continue to support Tao. The Tiger grunted, getting back to her feet. "You can do it! Just keep trying!" Toramon leaped at Viramon again, only to knocked away.

"Toramon, don't give up!" Shastina shouted. "I have to make Toramon go Ultimate…" Shastina thought. "Or else we will have no chance at this." Shastina closed her eyes, angered that Tao was injured. She slowly opened her eyes again, loading the Crest of Light onto her Digivice. Well, she would've.

* * * * * *

Mimi slept peacefully in her humble abode. Her Digivice lay on the night table nearby. The second generation bearer of the Crest of Sincerity, she was so peaceful in her sleep.

The female's Digivice began to beep, slightly as if not to awake its mistress, before releasing a emerald green beam.

* * * * * *

Yolei's room was empty, being that the teenager was taking a shower at the moment. Her Digivice lay on her desk, undisturbed except for a green beam of energy blasting from it and out the window.

* * * * * *

Twin beams of emerald energy merged together and blasted into Shastina's Digivice faster then anything Shastina's ever seen. On the screen was an image of teardrop like object.

"Another Crest?" Shastina asked herself aloud.

"Try it out…" Tao suggested. Shastina faced Tao for a sec, then nodded, pointing the Digivice towards Toramon when she was far enough away from her pray.

"Toramon…Digivolve to…"

Vines ensnared Toramon, forming a large protective box around her. Emerald energy surged outwards as the Tiger slowly began to change form, though no one could see. Slowly, the vines retracted, leaving a very humanoid looking Digimon.

"Rorimon!"

The new form was truly humanoid, though with distinct feline features. She still had the cat like tail as well as two black stripes across her cheek. Her nails were long and claw like. She also donned a suit of lightweight emerald coloured armour.

Rorimon gazed at her opponent, ready to deal some more pain. As if on cue, both Digimon rushed forward, claws and point bark slashing at each other, though neither getting a direct hit, only scraps against armour or wood. Rorimon finally made her move.

"DAICHIKI!"

Vines emerged from her right hand, binding Viramon in a tight knot. Viramon's arms were tied to her side, but she wasn't very concerned.

"NEEDLE BIND!"

Viramon's sharp vine arms extended forward, bending and headings towards Rorimon, hoping to impale her with the sharp tips. Rorimon leaped out of the way, but Viramon found a new target, the two Digi-Destined.

"Shastina!" Rorimon shouted, still in the air. She raised her left hand, a whip of vines materializing in it with golden radiance. With one quick and deliberate strike, she whipped the roots, tying the whip around them. In one quick pull, Rorimon redirected the tree spikes back towards Viramon, who was to angered to noticed the new direction until it was to late.

The spikes went through her body. Viramon cried out in pain as Rorimon loosened her grip on Viramon and the roots she used. The plant like Digimon fell to her knees, twitching in pain, the roots slowly shrunk back to normal length.

"Damn…you…" Viramon told them weakly, before disintegrating into black bits of data. Rorimon exhaled, still holding the whip in her hand, tired, but proud of her achievement.

Until more came.

"SONIC SWORD!"

The attack knocked the whip out of Rorimon's hand, surprising her and the other Digi-Destined.

"DARKNESS BLAST!"

The next attack blasted Rorimon into a tree, which was also the same tree that knocked Harriermon out. Rorimon reverted back to Tigramon and slid down beside Harriermon, also knocked out.

"Never lower your guard…" Drowsmon spoke, revealing himself.

"You!!" Shastina hissed. She knew Tao was now strong enough to support himself and was ready to knock Drowsmon out.

"It's not you I am after," Drowsmon told Shastina. He pointed the sword towards Tao. "One Sonic Sword could kill him." Shastina halted, not wanting to see harm come to him.

"Wait…" Shastina thought, gripping her Digivice. "This is…like that dream…no…nightmare I had…" she thought, now trembling. "And if it is anything like that…" Shastina couldn't think of it anymore.

"Hope was always a thorn in my side," Drowsmon spoke. "Especially when a Hope or Light Digimon could punch through my AE Field. So…if I take care of Hope…well, I've defeated Light before…it should not be a problem again." Tao gritted his teeth.

"But Light would get away safely if Hope fell?" he asked. Drowsmon nodded, charging energy into the blade. Tao sighed, his gaze falling onto Shastina. He didn't want to see her hurt, and would do a lot for her…

"But am I willing to lose my life?" he thought, closing his eyes.

"Wait!" Shastina exclaimed, stalling Drowsmon. All eyes fell onto her. "Take me instead."

"Shastina?!" Tao exclaimed, not wanting to believe what Shastina just said.

"Aye…but Hope is my concern," Drowsmon countered.

"Well, then you'll have to kill us both," Shastina spoke next, trembling still, but stepping in front of Tao.

"I'm a Digimon of my word…and I can't harm Light if Hope dies…" Drowsmon spoke. "Very well, I can compromise." Shastina closed her eyes, ready for the blow.

"DARKNESS BLAST!"

The attack pushed Shastina back and into Tao. Both fell over.

"Shastina?!" Tao cried out, cradling the female in his arms. He was relieved that her pulse was still good and she was still breathing, but she was also unconsious.

"I suggest you get Tiberius to look over that attack," Drowsmon told him, walking away. "You'll be surprised at what can happen."

Tao held Shastina in his arms, just relieved that they and their Digimon survived this encounter when Drowsmon had all the opportunity to kill them all.

"Or did we all survive?" Tao thought, a gut feeling that something was terribly wrong with Shastina.

Fin

****

Completed: 01/02/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	20. Episode 20-Hatred and Despair

****

Hatred and Despair

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

Tao sat beside Shastina, holding her hand tightly in his own. The young girl lay on the couch in the Kamiya residence, under the watchful eye of her boyfriend.

"Come on Tiberius…where are you…" Tao thought. It's been about three hours since Tao carried Shastina back through a Digital Portal and into the Real World in Japan. Tao didn't answer any of their questions, only set her down and quickly e-mailed Tiberius. Tigramon and Harriermon filled the other Digi-Destined with the details.

A short knock on the door stopped all conversations at the moment. Everyone but Tao turned their attention to the door as Tai opened it. Another Digi-Destined entered the apartment, quickly took off his shoes, and headed over to the couch.

"Tao…" Joe spoke. The boy looked up, seeing the older person. "Let me take a look at her, see if I can figure it out." Tao didn't let go of Shastina's hand, but only stepped away so the young doctor had room.

Tao didn't ask if she was all right, being that Joe hadn't even started his prognosis of the patient yet. He only check the time, hoping Tiberius would come soon to shed some light onto the situation as well.

Minutes seemed to pass like hours for Tao. His thoughts raged on, mostly damning himself for letting this happen.

"If something happens to you Shas…" Tao thought, closing his eyes and tightening his grip around her hand. "If anything…I'm not sure I'll be able to live with it…"

"It should've been me there…I should've went down…not you. Why did you have to do that?"

"Shas…don't leave me…I don't know what I'll do…" Tao opened his eyes, watching Joe continue to examine Shastina. "I'll make him pay…Drowsmon will pay for this…just…please don't leave me…"

Responsibility and guilt crept into Tao's consciousness. He felt terrible with the past attack that he could have prevented.

* * * * * *

Tiberius whacked his alarm clock, cursing under his breath for forgetting to turn it off. He groggily checked the time.

"Eight …?" he muttered, flopping his head back down onto his pillow. "I should really remember to turn off that alarm clock on the weekends…"

"Yeah," Lepumon agreed, slowly getting up. "It's a pain to wake up so early…" Tiberius sighed, rolling to his front and away from Lepumon. He picked up his Digivice on the night table and opened it.

"Oh well…might as well check e-mail…" Tiberius told his Digimon, accessing his e-mail account. He had one new message, but the message awake him faster then the blackest coffee one could ever find. "Lepumon, get up! We have an emergency!" he exclaimed, quickly writing two e-mails to both K.H. and Marc.

"I hope they get up soon…" Tiberius thought, knowing that both New York and Toronto was five hours behind his own time. The boy leaped out of bed and got dressed.

"What's the rush…" Lepumon asked tiredly.

"Shastina might be dying…" Tiberius spoke softly, preparing to open a Digital Portal on his Digivice. Lepumon instantly awoke upon hearing the news.

"Hang on Shas…Tao…I'm on my way…" Tiberius though next, setting the coordinates for the Digital World.

* * * * * *

"Everything seems fine…" Joe told the group. "But…if she hasn't awakened yet…then I really suspect something is wrong with her." Joe glanced back at the couch, were Tao was kneeling beside, still holding Shastina's hand.

"He's taking it hard…" Tai whispered, though it wouldn't have mattered if he said that aloud: Tao wouldn't have heard.

"He's panicking…" Kari murmured, lowering her head. "He's in despair…he feel responsible…and he feels hatred towards the one who did this…" All eyes turned to Kari, surprised yet again with her insight.

"Is there anything we can do for him?" Harriermon asked, glancing back at his partner. Kari shook her head.

"If we try anything now…it might just make things worse then before…" Kari spoke softly. Once again, silence surrounded the apartment.

It was shattered by a soft knocking on the door. Tai slowly emerged from his chair and opened the door, being greeted by an unfamiliar person.

"And you are?" Tai asked.

"Tiberius…" he responded, revealing Lepumon from within his backpack. The rabbit Digimon hopped out and into the apartment. Tai let the other boy in. Izzy stood up, also greeting the boy.

"I hope you had more luck finding the effects of Darkness Blast then me," he told his younger counterpart. Tiberius nodded, asking for Izzy's laptop. The university student agreed, handing over the computer. Tiberius sat down at the table and quickly downloaded his own Digimon Analyzer program onto Izzy's. After a short search on the computer, he found the attack, and gave the computer back to its owner.

"Oh no…" Izzy gasped, unable to believe the side effects of Darkness Blast. Everyone; except for Tao, Tiberius, and Lepumon quickly huddle around Izzy to read the side effects. "Hold on!" Izzy exclaimed, pushing the people around him away. "I'll just read it out loud…" The mob of Digi-Destined and Digimon slowly receded, sitting down and getting comfortable, expecting the worst.

"Darkness Blast," Izzy read, loud enough for everyone to hear. "An attack designed to annihilate the target and anything within a certain radius from existence when used upon full power. However, the attack is also generally used just to knock down a foe with Gravity/Unholy energy."

"The unusual apparatus of this attack is the long term affect. When used for the general ability, the attack impacts, knocking the foe down. The energy afterwards is nullified."

"A low energy attack, however, has a completely different attack. On impact, the foe feels nothing. The energy from the attack does not nullify like before, but instead, enters the target's body and begins to wreck havoc on the system. The one infected will usually die within three days."

"The only cure is if the user of Darkness Blast nullifies the energy from the attack voluntary or if that Digimon is deleted."

Tao looked up, slowly releasing Shastina's hand and walking over to join the others.

"If…Drowsmon is killed…then, it'll be over," he asked, though more of a statement then a question. Izzy and Tiberius nodded. "Come on Harriermon, we're going 'mon hunting," he told his Digimon, heading towards the door and pulling out his Digivice.

"Tao, wait!" Tiberius exclaimed, running in front of the boy and holding him. "Drowsmon has an AE field-Holy."

"So?" Tao asked, angered by the delay.

"Which means only Harriermon's Hope Ultimate can hurt him," Tiberius tried to reason. "And Harriermon has not fully recovered from his last battle."

"I don-" Tao was about to protest.

"Listen to me!" Tiberius shouted. "You won't be able to defeat Drowsmon unless Harriermon can fight at full strength. Also, K.H. and Marc will be on their way. This has to be a team effort, not some one man crusade that will surely get you killed!" Tao regarded his Digi-Destined companion for a few seconds, before turning around.

"Fine, we'll do it YOUR way then…" he mumbled angrily, but loud enough for Tiberius to hear. Tiberius exhaled, heading back to the table.

"You have to admit…time is of the essence," Izzy told Tiberius.

"But recklessness can get you killed," Tai inputted.

"It will be four or five hours before Marc and K.H. will get up," Tiberius told the others. "When they arrive, we should still have two and a half days…five by Digital World reckoning."

"You'll need a plan then…a really effective plan…since you're one Holy elemental Digimon short…" Izzy told Tiberius.

"If we can, I think the main jobs for Lepumon, Xemon, and Kinoumon is to force Drowsmon into Harriermon's attacks," Tiberius spoke after a brief time of thinking. "Even if Drowsmon has an AE field, the force of our attacks can push him into the Holy attacks

"Great…we're going to be playing pinball with this Digimon…" Lepumon spoke, sighing and flopping onto the table.

"I would prefer the game 'tennis', but yeah, it's the same idea," Tiberius told his Digimon. He looked around, seeing Tigramon lying above Shastina on the couch. She was curled up on her stomach, her head directed towards her face. Tao on the other hand was outside, obviously anxious and impatient. He was definitely ready to head into the Digital World.

Tiberius headed to the couch, patting the Tiger. She looked at Tiberius, sadness in her eyes.

"Don't worry…we'll save her," Tiberius told the Digimon. She nodded slowly, dropping her head back down.

* * * * * *

"So, let me get this straight…" K.H. restated, the four with there Digimon following a path in the Digital World. "Our Digimon's goal is to knock Drowsmon into the attacks while Tao's Digimon is to slowly knock power away from him?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much it," Tiberius answered.

"Why don't we just ask him to play tennis?" K.H. spoke, lowering his head. Tiberius and Lepumon chuckled slightly.

"How coincidental," Tiberius told K.H. "Just what I was saying." Tao lead the group, unafraid of any dangers around.

"And just where do you propose we find Drowsmon?" Marc asked, trying to keep a pace with Tao, who hasn't broken his pace yet.

"Hope he shows up?" Kinoumon suggested, riding on top of K.H.'s head.

"Well, then you hope right," Drowsmon spoke. All the Digi-Destined quickly turned around, seeing their target. Tao quickly ran up to confront him, his Digimon faithfully following.

"Alright, time to die Drowsmon!" he exclaimed, unable to hold his anger in any longer. Tao lifted his Blue Digivice towards Harriermon.

"Harriermon…Digivolve to…Haeromon!"

The massive bird like Digimon flew low, ready to attack or protect his partner at a moments notice.

"Hateful, aren't we today?" Drowsmon asked, slowly drawing his blade. The other three Champion level Digimon joined Haeromon.

"We still don't have enough power," Tiberius told the other three. "Let's take it up another step!" With those words, he loaded his Crest of Knowledge into his Digivice, knowing full well that the AE Field would absorb all the Gravity attacks Raipumon would toss at him.

Marc entered his Crest of Friendship. Metamorphazimon was a powerful Digimon, but lacked something if wasn't in water. The Ice Dragon would prove more tactically advantages.

K.H. in turn loaded his Crest of Courage. If anything, he believed Epralmon's frame could pressure Drowsmon into moving to other places better then Dirubramon can.

As for Tao, well, he definitely loaded his Crest of Hope, but he failed to notice something tragically wrong with the Crest.

"Bukkomon…Digivolve to…Kagepumon!"

"Vormon…Digivolve to…Crysdramon!"

"Legionarimon…Digivolve to…Epralmon!"

"Haeromon…Digivolve to…"

There was a long silence, Haeromon wasn't changing form or appearance anyway.

"Haeromon…what are you waiting for?!" Tao shouted out.

"I don't know…I just can't Digivolve!" the Digimon shouted back.

"Don't tell me that! Just do it!" Tao yelled out. Haeromon tried again, but failed miserably. Drowsmon began to laugh uncontrollably seeing how the second attempt failed.

"Well, well, well, I do believe I knocked out two birds with one stone," he spoke, stepping towards the Digi-Destined and their Digimon. The all growled viciously, but they all also knew they were powerless to do anything, not if none of their attacks can penetrate that field of his.

"Who would've known disabling Light could have such an effect on Hope…" Drowsmon mocked, tapping his blade against his shoulder now.

"What did you do?!" Marc questioned angrily.

"I didn't do a thing," Drowsmon told him. "Your friend did it to himself…" Tao gritted his teeth, his courage and determination fading quickly.

"What do you mean?" K.H. asked. Strange how these enemies could possibly have a straight conversation. Drowsmon stared at Tiberius, looking at him for an answer. Tiberius noticed the stare, then his Digivice.

"The Crest represents certain traits of the holder," he answered after a moment thought. "Thus…when that trait is shown, the Crest will begin to shine."

"However, if the opposite trait of the Crest is shown, then the Crest will begin to fade."

"What I do not understand is how Tao's Crest of Hope is faded," Tiberius mused. "His hatred could fade the Crest of Love…but what can be fading Hope?" Tao remained silent, losing himself again, but still keeping his mask up. Drowsmon grinned, stepping towards the bearer of hope.

"You are in despair…" the Digimon told him. "Your determination and hatred masks the despair you carry deep in your heart…but Hope isn't fooled. It knows you have given up. You don't think you can save Shastina anymore."

"You're wrong!" Tao yelled out forcefully.

"There's a thin line between determination and hope," Drowsmon told him, walking away now. Tao remained silent and motionless. "Your determination is fading, as is your hope."

"Until you get back that Hope, you will never be able to destroy me." Those last words struck a chord in Tao's mind.

"Without Hope…all is lost…" Tao thought. "All is lost…"

* * * * * *

Tao held Shastina's hand in his own, watching over her features.

"I gave up…" he whispered. She seemed so pale, so lifeless. "I remember when you used to be so energetic…so free…" he spoke, dropping her hand. "The untamed wind…and so caring…it's no wonder Light chose you."

"But I? Hope has chose me for what purpose? I have given up. I don't know what to do."

"I…let you down…" the words came slowly out of his mouth, difficult to articulate. "I can't go on…"

"I'm sorry Shas…you're going to die because of me…"

"I'm such a hypocrite, saying 'never to give up' or 'there is always hope'. But I couldn't bring myself to believe that…and now…you'll pay for it."

Tao turned away, unable to face the girl anymore.

"You shouldn't have met me…all it led to was disaster…" A small tear formed and ran down his cheek.

On the table beside the couch lay his Blue Digivice, with the Crest of Hope loaded onto the screen. The Crest was blacker then the charcoal coloured armour Drowsmon wore.

Fin

****

Completed: 01/06/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	21. Episode 21-Lights Last Hope

****

Light's Last Hope

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

The sun slowly rose, brining light in the unguarded areas of the Kamiya residence. Shastina lay on the couch, still unconscious from the effects of Darkness Blast. The other four remaining fourth generation Digi-Destined stayed at the Kamiya residence for the night as well, trying to re-think a strategy to defeat Drowsmon with.

However, the planning proved futile, as no one could think of a way to get past Drowsmon AE Field.

Kari Kamiya yawned softly, exiting her room and checking up on the other Digi-Destined staying at her house. Most were sprawled across the floor, as were their Digimon.

"Well…at all four of them are still here…" Kari thought, turning towards the bathroom before the thought struck her. "Four?!" She instantly turned back around, trying to figure out who was missing. It didn't take long to figure out Tao was the absent member.

* * * * * *

"Wasn't it Tiberius who said you shouldn't be going out on one man crusades?" Harriermon asked his partner, flying by his side. Tao remained quite, hiking through the woods. He awoke early and headed towards the Digital World, ready to settle the score without any help.

"Come on Tao…pull yourself together…" Tao thought. "She's counting on you…"

"Tao…we aren't going to be able to defeat Drowsmon ourselves…" Harriermon tried to reason, still hanging by his side.

"If you don't want to come, fine," Tao told his Digimon. "I'll just go alone then."

"You know I can't let you go alone…" Harriermon pleaded.

"Then don't complain," Tao responded bitterly. Harriermon sighed, flying up ahead to scout out the area. It was at this point that Tao stopped walking, sighing, and recollecting his thoughts just before he left.

"Shastina…" he spoke her name softly, placing his hand onto his Digivice.

* * * * * *

The sun was hardly over the horizon when Tao awoke from his slumber within the Kamiya residence. He knew he wouldn't sleep long, knowing full well the responsibility he had for Shastina.

The teenage boy slowly rose, making sure not to awake any of the other Digi-Destined in the apartment. He walked over to Shastina and sat on the couch beside her. Tao then gazed outside, seeing Harriermon perched on the railing on the balcony. The Digimon looked back, waiting, knowing Tao's next decision for them.

"Shas…I'm sorry I did this to you…" he whispered into the unconscious girl's ear. "I promise I'll bring you back…" he spoke, though not believing his own words. Tao wasn't sure how else to end this.

The Digi-Destined of Hope and Love kissed Shastina on the forehead lightly, before getting up and heading the balcony so he and Harriermon could begin their quest.

* * * * * *

"Yeah Shas…I promised I would bring you back," Tao repeated to himself, replaying the memory again. "Even if it kills me…"

The boy continued his journey, catching up with Harriermon who was hovering in awe over the next portion of their quest.

"This can't be real…" Harriermon spoke.

"If Drowsmon is in there, I'm going in there too," Tao told his Digimon companion, beginning a slow trek down the steep hill.

Before the two lay a desolate wastelands. Dark clouds hovered over the barren lands, lacking any sort of life or purity. The land was dry and cracking, with almost nothing for unknown amounts of waste.

According to the map on Tao's Digivice, the land was known as the 'Gateway of Death'.

"What a nice name," Tao commented sarcastically, hanging onto little twigs or small trees that littered the out perimeter of the bowels of this land, or maybe even a crater.

"Sort of gives you a feeling of impending doom, doesn't it?" Harriermon remarked, flying down the slope by Tao's side.

"Tis be a nice thought," Tao answered in the same sarcastic tone. "Death will be for Drowsmon if he's down here." Harriermon nodded his agreement, diving down to examine the area while Tao made his way slowly down.

* * * * * *

"We need to begin search patterns all across the Digital World," Marc told his other Digi-Destined companions. Tiberius nodded in agreement, but knew the hopelessness of the situation.

"Marc…Tao could be anywhere in the Digital World by now…" K.H. spoke. "To search the entire Digital World in one day would be impossible."

"So what do you suggest we do?!" Marc protested angrily. K.H. fell silent, looking away and back towards the couch. "I don't see you with any better suggestions!"

"I say you should have faith in Tao," Kari spoke softly, walking towards the trio. "He might have gone alone…but his determination to succeed will keep him going. Drowsmon is wrong with his dwindling determination. If anything, this action proves how determined Tao is to succeed."

"And how idiotic it is to fight someone he can't even harm," Marc muttered loudly. He took his Digivice.

"Have faith…that's all I say…" Kari spoke. Marc shook his head, beckoning for Xemon to come.

"I'm going in to search for him. Since Crysdramon can fly, I can cover a lot of ground," Marc told his companions. He opened a Digital Portal and went in, leaving the two fourth generation Digi-Destined behind.

"So what do we do?" K.H. asked his companion.

"Go search with him," Tiberius answered. "I'll e-mail him, see if I can get a response. I'll also download the map onto Tai's computer and see if I can pick up his signal from here." K.H. nodded, calling for Kinoumon and opening his own Digital Portal.

"Good luck," K.H. told Tiberius, before hopping into the portal. Tiberius sighed, getting his Digivice and heading to the computer.

"You should all have faith in him…" Kari thought, but deciding to help Tiberius with the search.

* * * * * *

Tao held onto Haeromon as the two soared across the wasted plains. The land stretched out for what seemed like an endless amount. Tao couldn't even see the land they came from behind them anymore.

"Welcome to the limbo of death…." Tao muttered softly, the wind blowing fiercely against his body. For as far as he could see, it was all the same.

"It's a nice ring, isn't it?" Haeromon told his partner, definitely in a sarcastic tone. His rider was silent, hanging onto the Digimon with one hand, and for some strange reason, decided to check his e-mail with the other.

_Tao_

Don't go out on this one man crusade. We need something better then just rushing in blindly if we're going to defeat Drowsmon.

~Tiberius

"Sorry Tibbs, can't do that," Tao spoke softly, unheard with the howling wind drowning out his soft tone. "Shas is counting on me, and if I go back now…everything will be lost…" Tao silently closed his Digivice with his single open hand and clipped it to his pocket. "I'm sorry…team…but this is something I got to do alone now…"

* * * * * *

Marc rode on Crysdramon's beck, keeping an eye on his Digivice for Tao's signal. Crysdramon flew far and fast, keeping an eye out for Tao or his Digimon. Forest stood in mass numbers under them, making it nearly impossible to see anything underneath the thicket.

"Marc, it's impossible to see anything under there," the Dragon told his partner and companion.

"Keep flying," Marc advised. "If Tao shows up on my Digivice, I'll warn you." Crysdramon nodded, increasing his speed and diving low, but just above the tree line, just incase he could see Tao and Harriermon underneath the mass of trees.

"This is a big world…we might not be able to find him before it's too late," Crysdramon commented.

"Don't give up!" Marc told his Digimon. "Tao is still determined to save Shastina, even if his heart can't say so," Marc added the last part softly. "We should have an equal amount of determination to find him!"

"If you say so!" the dragon spoke. He increased his speed, motivated by the short speech.

* * * * * *

"So…you've come…" Drowsmon told Tao. The Digimon kept his sword in his sheath. He stood twenty paces away from Tao and his Digimon. "What brought you to me?"

"Just call it luck…" Tao remarked bitterly. "Or maybe it was fate. It is hard to say." Drowsmon gave a short laugh.

"You're hatred in me has not abated," he spoke calmly. "Nor has the despair surrounding your heart subsided either."

"However…" Drowsmon added, turning his back towards Tao. "You have followed me all the way to this desolate wastes." He turned back to face the Digi-Destined.

"Your determination is admirable," he spoke. "But even you must admit you can not harm me without your Crest of Hope."

"I'll find way…just you watch…" Tao told Drowsmon, softly, but loud enough to be heard. Now Drowsmon really did chuckle.

"We will see young Digi-Destined…we _will_ see…"

* * * * * *

"Anything?" Tai asked, leaning over Tiberius' shoulder to check out the map. Kari stood behind her brother, also watching the boy work on the computer.

"Nothing yet…" Tiberius answered, doing a sector by sector search of the Digital World. "Even if we had all of us searching, it is still a big world. We'll be lucky if we can even pick up his trail." Kari slowly stepped towards the computer, examining a full screen version of the map.

"Any ideas?" Tai questioned next, looking left and right on the map. All green squares marked off areas K.H. explored while Red ones represented Marc's areas. All brown areas were those scanned by Tiberius. Maps were updated on all Digivices regularly.

"None," Tiberius responded, saddened. "We just have to hope we can get lucky and find him before he seriously gets hurt out there." Kari stepped closer, her gaze falling onto one of the sectors far away from any of the search patterns.

"What sector is that?" she asked, pointing towards the screen. Tiberius traced her finger to the sector, and zoomed in on it.

"The 'Gateway of Death'?" Tiberius spoke, giving a short laugh. "Corny name…" he commented, but the picture changed his opinion. "But a name well suited for this wasteland."

"Do you think he is there?" Tai spoke. Tiberius shrugged, beginning a scan of the sector.

"There's only one way to find out, right?" Tiberius asked rhetorically. Kari clasped her hands together, knowing, for some unknown reason, Tao would be there.

* * * * * *

There was silence between Tao, Haeromon, and Drowsmon for what seemed like an eternity. There was a short staring contest between the three, with no one moving what so ever.

"Are we just going to stay like this?" Drowsmon asked. "Or is there a _point _behind your visit?"

"I want you dead…" Tao remarked.

"Go ahead then…try and take my life," Drowsmon offered. Tao gritted his teeth, knowing full neither he nor his Digimon had the ability to harm their foe, let alone defeat him. "See, you know you can't," Drowsmon told the boy. Tao burst with anger, rushing forward and forcing his fist into Drowsmon's cheek. The Digimon recoiled back, slowly turning back to face the Human who hit him.

"Fist fight?" he asked, grinning. He pressed the palm of his hand into Tao's stomach, attacking him with a Darkness Blast.

Tao yelled out in pain, flying backwards from the blast. Haeromon quickly caught the Digi-Destined in his wings, setting him back down slowly. The boy gripped the spot where the attack hit, pain shooting up his system for a short moment on contact.

"Didn't we agree to a fist fight?" Tao asked, smirking lightly and slowly heading back towards the opposing Digimon. "Or are you just afraid that without your AE Field, you can't win?"

"I can kill you if and when I felt like it," Drowsmon countered.

"Then why don't you?!" Tao screamed out, slightly frustrated.

"I keep my word," he answered lightly. "Either you or Light will die, but I cannot allow both to die."

"Well, then, you're either going to have to find a way to lose me, and I guarantee you won't lose me, or you're going to have to kill me!" Tao grinned, his anger somehow turning into a strange sense of insanity.

"You…have a strange sense of logic there…" Drowsmon commented, staggering with the right words. "Just…why are you so persistent?" The question stopped Tao. Not even had thought about that yet, and scared him what he was becoming just to stop one Digimon.

"Shastina…she saved my life…" he spoke softly, looking for the correct words to state his point. "She willingly sacrificed herself so I could live."

"I knew…you were after me…She knew that too…and she knew she could die if she intervened…Yet…she did…"

Tao chuckled softly. "I guess that's why she has the Crest of Light…"

"She cares for others beyond her own…she's a Light to protect others…even if it means the Light would be extinguished…"

"She went as far…as to protect me…" Tears started to form in Tao's eyes, blurring his vision.

"I…feel the need to repay the favour…even…if it means my life is to be extinguished by this…"

Drowsmon regarded the saddened boy, looking up and down his features yet again.

"He could possibly hold the other half…" he thought, seeing the purity…and Light…behind the boy's words. "I guess it is time for me to embrace the void too."

"Take my life!" Tao cried out, dropping to his knees. "Let it be known…I can not escape my own fate…"

* * * * * *

"I don't get it…the scan is going so slowly…" Tiberius told Tai. "I knew there was background radiation to partially block my scans in this sector, but I wasn't expecting so much!"

"Can't you punch through it?" Tai offered. Tiberius shook his head, trying harder.

Kari wasn't really listening, she stared at where Shastina lay from her position inside the doorframe. The girl's Digivice lay on the table beside her, Tigramon watching vigilantly over her partner's condition.

Kari gasped, surprised at Shastina's Digivice. The device was bathed in an aura of white energy. Slowly, the Crest of Light emerged from her Digivice, dancing in the air for a few seconds, before racing off, out the window and towards the horizon.

* * * * * *

Tao slowly tilted his up towards the sky, white aura splashing down. The Crest of Light was slowly descending into the battlefield, a light in the middle of death and destruction. He slowly rose to his feet, wiping the tears from his eyes and focusing onto the light.

"Yes…the Crest of Light has found its other half…" Drowsmon whispered, with hidden happiness, yet, at the same time, he was saddened, knowing full well his time was near.

The Crest entered Tao's Digivice, registering as the right half of the Crest of Light. Tao slowly unclipped his Digivice from his pocket, now with a third Crest under his possession.

"Light…choose me?" he asked himself, turning back to face Haeromon. The giant bird Digimon nodded, knowing full well what the two needed to do.

Tao slowly walked towards Haeromon, lifting the Digivice and pointing it towards Haeromon.

"For Shastina…" Tao spoke, only heard by the ears of the bird Digimon. The Digivice burst with energy.

"Haeromon…Digivolve to…"

Bright light surrounded Haeromon, his form getting thinner and taller, the wings moving, and changing. The light was molded into a completely different image, one like a bird…and at the same time…one of a Human.

"Celeaglemon!"

The light dwindled, revealing another Digimon in his entire splendor. He wore silver vest with two silver wristbands and a pair of silver boots. A red band was tied around his left arm. A large sword in a sheath was strapped to his back. His wings were truly unbelievable. A mixture of two…the shape of those of an eagle, yet…the feathers were composed of those from an Angel. His blond hair blew in the barren wind that flustered across the land. The sapphire eyes of the Digimon glanced at Tao, before turning to face Drowsmon.

"And so begins my final few minutes…" Drowsmon thought, smiling lightly. He drew his weapon. "So long…the Digital World doesn't need me anymore…"

Drowsmon let out a battle cry, rushing forward, sword ready to smite Celeaglemon. In one quick and fluent move, the angel/eagle hybrid drew his own weapon, a broadsword needing two hands to wield.

Both blades clashed, the 'clang' of impacting weapon echoing throughout the wastes. The two warriors examined each other eye-to-eye, before cracking the locked blades and continuing fighting with unseen speed and grace. Blades locked on and detached in blurs. Tao was unable to keep up with the brilliant display of swordplay until both Digimon pushed each other away.

"SONIC SWORD!"

The green blast of energy erupted from Drowsmon's weapon, heading directly towards Celeaglemon.

"CELESTIAL CHARGE!"

The angel/eagle hybrid countered, attacking back with his own blast of Holy energy that shattered the Sonic Sword. Drowsmon quickly lifted his blade, hoping to absorb the blast, which it did, but the Digimon also lost his weapon in the process. The force of the attack knocked the blade out of his hands, and leaving him momentarily stunned.

"Give up," Celeaglemon offered, lowering his weapon.

"Never!" Drowsmon protested, raising his right arm.

"DARKNESS BLAST!"

The unholy/gravity attack sprinted towards the angel/eagle, leaving very few seconds to respond.

"ANGEL EAGLE!"

Holy energy formed in Celeaglemon's left arm, shaped like an eagle. The attack rocketed forward, impacting against the Darkness Blast. Both attacks were locked onto each other, neither surpassing each other, and neither gaining an advantage over each other. The two Digimon concentrated on increasing the power of the attack.

It wasn't until Tao placed Drowsmon blade against the original owner's neck did the Digimon begin to experience true fear.

"Give up now…" he told Drowsmon, who still remained concentration on the attack, and knew if he broke it, he would die right then and there. "Break the Darkness Blast on Shastina, and you can go free."

"One of the original Digimon to defend the Digital World deserves to live," he reasoned. Drowsmon grinned, knowing full well death was upon him.

"I can't escape it…" he whispered, loud enough for Tao to hear. "The Darkness Blast will annihilate me too…but…it's time to die…"

"DARKNESS BLAST!"

Celeaglemon's eyes went wide, knowing that Drowsmon was going to unleash a fully powered attack. He had no time to fly both of them out…there was only milliseconds before they would all die.

"CELESTIAL…"

Black energy blasted outwards, ensnaring the trio in a dome of dark energy, before it stretched outwards, destroying all life that it consumed.

* * * * * *

"What the?!" Tiberius thought. He picked up Tao's signal for a brief moment in that sector, before it died again. Quickly, he wrote and e-mail, telling the other two Digi-Destined to meet him at that sector.

"What happened?!" Tai asked, anxious for results. Tiberius shook his head, called for Lepumon, and was about to leave if it wasn't for a loud shouting from the interior of the apartment.

"Oh my God!!" Tigramon screamed out. "She's awake!!!"

* * * * * *

Marc and K.H. exchanged glances, wondering when Tiberius would arrive. The two reached the 'Gateway of Death', a bit afraid of the name, but needed to brave the lands. The two continued to walk down the wastes, which somehow seemed more defeated then before. The two Humans and Digimon cried out Tao and Harriermon's name, hoping to get a response. Slowly, the party split into four, ready to cover more ground.

It was Xemon who made a startling discovery.

"Over here!" he yelled to the others. The other three broke into a sprint, racing towards Xemon's location.

The place where he stood, were the tattered remains of Tao's vest.

Fin

****

Completed: 01/08/00

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	22. Episode 22-Holy Dragon, the Hope Rebirth

****

Holy Dragon, the Hope Rebirth

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

Tiberius ran out the door, checking out what was going on. Much to his surprise and delight, he saw Shastina conscious, shaking her head dizzily, with Tigramon hanging over her. Kari still stood by the doorframe, hands clasped, with a faint smile on her face.

"I don't believe it!" Tiberius exclaimed. "Tao did it! He actually defeated Drowsmon!" Shastina quickly turned her head towards Tiberius, blinking in confusion.

"What…happened?" she spoke softly, unable to comprehend the events before. Tigramon was still overjoyed with Shastina's revival to answer. Tiberius walked over to her, followed by Tai, who decided to hang back with Kari.

"Well…it's a very long story…" Tiberius answered, scratching the back of his head. "How should I explain this…" The teenage boy didn't have time to continue. Both K.H. and Marc returned from their searches, each with a frown on their face.

Kari examined the two Digi-Destined, and just by the way they looked, she knew something incredibly wrong happened.

"You're back!" Tiberius spoke, happy, but then noticing a third person from that party was missing. "Hey…where's Tao…?" The two exchanged glances, unsure how else to break the news.

"He's…gone…" Xemon answered, removing the burden from the two Human's shoulders.

"What…do you mean…gone?" Shastina asked, not wanting to believe the certain context that this means.

"We…found his vest at the 'Gateway of Death'," Kinoumon reported. "It was tattered and torn."

"But…" K.H. spoke, trying to find an upside to this. "Since Shastina is awake…we know that he succeeded…" The upside didn't sound very pleasant, and Shastina wasn't sure how else to take it. She sat on the couch, stunned with the news.

* * * * * *

A week had passed since the defeat of Drowsmon. For all four students, the winter break was starting, which meant they had more time for the Digital World.

However, none of the four stepped foot into the Digital World since that day…afraid of what might await then…or perhaps a similar fate to that of one of their Digi-Destined.

Sora was still in Toronto however, unable to leave Biyomon behind, and unable to take the Digimon back with her to Japan. Marc offered to take the bird Digimon to the Digital World, but Biyomon didn't seem very talkative. Marc's other concern right now was to somehow convince Tao's parents that something _wasn't _wrong.

Tiberius continued to research the Digimon and their attacks, however, the thoughts of Tao and Harriermon remained intact in his mind, and haunt him continuously.

K.H. took it the lightest, trying his best to cheer up the other Digi-Destined whenever he could. Even then, Tao remained firmly imbedded on his mind.

As for Shastina…she couldn't function knowing how she basically sentenced Tao to death. For the last seven days, she felt responsible for the death of a Digi-Destined, and a close friend to her.

No matter how hard each Digimon tried, they couldn't seem to bring their partners out of the depressive mood they were in.

And so life continues for the four Digi-Destined and their partners…

* * * * * *

Tiberius sighed, his head lay flat on the counter at Yasmine's store. The older Digi-Destined just finished serving another customer before turning her attention back towards Tiberius.

"Hey…cheer up…" Yasmine told him, patting the boy on the back. Tiberius didn't budge. He lay there, sulking. Yasmine sighed, leaning on the counter.

"There are ups and downs to being a Digi-Destined…" Yasmine lectured. "This is obviously a down, but you can't give your hopes up."

"How can you say that?" Tiberius asked, anger in his voice, yet overlaid with sadness.

"Do you truly believe Tao is dead?" Yasmine asked, calmly.

"I don't want to believe it!" Tiberius exclaimed. "Yet…with all there is so far…it seems like he is gone…" Yasmine sighed, patting the boy on the back again.

"Hope is not easily extinguished…" she told him, heading to the storeroom. "Remember that."

* * * * * *

K.H. sipped his soda slowly through a straw. Across the table from him sat Mimi and Michael, both unsure how else to talk to the boy in front of them.

"Strange how drastic changes can come…" K.H. spoke, stirring his straw around the can. Kinoumon remained hidden in K.H.'s bag, but it was opened all the way so he had more air to breathe. Palmon and Betamon sat underneath the table, in the far recess as not to be detected by others.

Silence once again ensnared the Digi-Destined, no one making a sound nor move for that matter.

"K.H." Mimi spoke. K.H. raised his head to face the female. "You couldn't have stopped him from going alone."

"I could've…" K.H. remarked bitterly.

"He was driven by a force that you couldn't stop," Mimi reasoned. "Even if you tied him to a chair and locked him in a room, he would have still found a way to go." K.H. was silent, taking another short sip from his drink.

"You all have a responsibility to fulfil…" Michael spoke, his hands wrapped around his can of pop. "A responsibility that has been left in your hands. Even with the fall of a comrade, you four still have to push forward. I'm not sure how Tao would react…but I can bet he wouldn't like if all four of you let the Digital World and Real World fall apart while you mourn over him."

K.H. remained deathly silent, unable to bring himself to do anything else but just sit and think.

* * * * * *

A batch of snow landed on the city of Toronto, burying it under ten centimeters of snow. Marc was busy shoveling his driveway while Xemon watched, hanging out inside the garage and keeping out of the cold.

"A little help would be appreciated you know!" Marc shouted to Xemon.

"I would if I could!" Xemon shouted back, grinning. Marc smiled back, but his face faulted after a few seconds. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get his mind off a certain friend he had and lost. He continued to push snow, in slow and deliberate movements.

Xemon also seemed affected, sighing. Silence surrounded both, with only the sound of shovel scratching against gravel road. Marc was pretty much absorbed now in shoveling snow, trying to get his mind off Tao. As for Xemon, he didn't notice a friend approach him until she spoke.

"Xemon…" she whispered, voice soft and sad. Xemon quickly turned to his left, seeing Biyomon standing beside him. Where she and Sora resided so far wasn't very far away from Marc's house.

"Biyomon?!" Xemon exclaimed, but not loud enough for Marc to notice. "What are you doing here?"

"I…I was lonely…" Biyomon whispered. She sniffed, and then Xemon knew what was bothering the other bird.

"You miss Harriermon…" Xemon stated. She nodded slowly, looking away.

"I-I'm sorry…" she apologized. "I should not bother you…"

"No…don't say that," Xemon told the female Digimon quickly. "We all miss them…"

"Oh Xemon…" Biyomon spoke, hugging the dragon Digimon and crying onto his shoulder. The dragon was taken aback by this, but allowed the Digimon to continue to cry.

* * * * * *

"It's…been a while…hasn't it…" Shastina commented, gazing left and right. She and Tigramon were back in the Digital World, after the Digivice decided to pull this pair back into the danger zone.

"Drowsmon is gone…" Tigramon told Shastina. "So…there really isn't much to fear…"

"There's always much to fear," Shastina replied, sighing. "We are as liable to die…"

"Just like Tao…" Tigramon spoke softly, all hope lost from her voice. Shastina did not respond, but curled her hand into a tight fist.

"Come on…" Shastina ordered. "The faster we get this done…the faster we can get out of here. I dare not stay in the Digital World for much longer."

* * * * * *

Marc blinked, trying to figure out what happened. Then he remembered, being that he hasn't done anything like that for a while.

"I'm not used to Digital Portal travel anymore," he commented to his dragon friend.

"Then you'll just have to adapt again," Xemon told Marc. The two had just escorted Biyomon back home to Sora once Marc finished with the driveway. However, a few minutes after they left, Marc's Digivice began to go off, and thus starting another adventure into the Digital World.

"Marc…" Xemon whispered, looking away. His Human companion looked down at the dragon. "I guess this would be a better time then any to ask…" Marc was confused by those words,

"What's on your mind?" he asked, kneeling down to be on eye level with his Digimon.

"Marc…there is this gleam in your eyes…" Xemon told him, slowly. The Digi-Destined blinked, wondering what the dragon was getting to. "A gleam of hope…protest…if you would so say."

"You don't believe he's gone," Xemon told Marc in a matter of fact tone. Marc looked down at the grass below him, laughing a bit. Now it was Xemon's turn to be confused.

"You're right…I don't believe Tao is gone yet," Marc answered, standing back up. "He always told me to never give up. There is always a way…a way to overcome it all."

"I know he survived…I just wish he would come home…" Marc spoke, sighing. "He is alive…"

"You have such a strong conviction of hope…" Xemon commented. Marc nodded his answer, turning once again to face his Digimon.

"If Tao has taught me anything…it's to never give up," he spoke, lifting the Dragon up. "And so I won't…not until there is proof he's gone for good." Xemon's frown slowly turned into a smile.

"Well, if you will believe that, then I will to!" he piped in, now more enthusiastic. Marc also smiled, happy with the Dragon's energy and letting him back down.

"And since we're here…we might as well search…" Marc spoke next. Xemon was a bit confused now.

"Um…why didn't we do that some time before?" he asked. Marc smiled, hoping to avoid answering the question and heading of into the distance, Xemon walking beside him.

"I wish I knew Xemon…I wish I knew…" Marc thought, looking towards the sun, bringing his shades over his eyes to protect against the sun. "I guess…deep down…I am afraid of the truth…"

* * * * * *

Shastina remained unmoving, her left holding the small body of a tree, keeping her from tumbling down the side of the hill. Tigramon remained on her shoulder, also staring at the distance.

In front of them lay the vast desolate lands: 'Gateway of Death', the place where Tao was last thought to be.

"Are you going to go in there and look for him?" Tigramon asked, keeping her balance on Shastina's shoulder. She shook her head, unsure what she wanted to do at the moment.

"I don't think he's gone…" Shastina said softly. "But everything seems to point elsewhere…"

"It's strange how we both got attracted to the same place," a voice spoke behind her. Shastina quickly turned around, seeing Marc at the top of the hill, Xemon by his side.

"Marc?!" Shastina exclaimed, not expecting another Digi-Destined to be in the Digital World with her.

"You're looking for him," Marc spoke in a form of a statement, not as a question. He slowly stepped down to join her.

"Maybe…I'm not sure why I came here…" Shastina answered, turning back to face the ruined wastelands.

"You can't give up yet," Xemon quickly chipped in.

"Yeah…Tao wouldn't give up if you were gone…" Marc continued, turning his head towards her once her was at the same elevation as the other Digi-Destined. "You shouldn't either." Shastina remained quiet, unable to accumulate a response.

"Even if there was truly despair in his heart…Tao, I know you believed…" Marc added in his own mind.

"We shouldn't stand here for very long…" Tigramon offered, leaping off her partner's shoulder and onto the soft soiled ground. "This place gives me the creeps…" she told them, shuddering and running back up the hill. Shastina smiled lightly, following the Digimon back up. Marc, on the other hand, stood still, continuing to stare at the lands in front of him.

"Come back soon…" he whispered.

A loud and high pitched screamed erupted from behind he. Marc quickly turned around, seeing Shastina falling down the hill. With on quick gesture, he grabbed one of her arms with his own free arm. Shastina was breathing hard.

"What happened?!" Marc asked quickly, looking back up. He was answered when he saw Axeramon standing at the top of the hill, his weapon ready, with traces of blood on the blade. Marc glanced back down at Shastina, a small wound on her right leg, but nothing serious.

"At least most of the attack missed…" Marc thought, helping Shastina regain her footing. It took her a few moments to regain herself, due to the fact she was stunned by the attack.

"Shastina, you okay?!" Tigramon exclaimed, hopping back down the hill. She nodded slowly, still grasping Marc's arm.

"Thanks Marc," she spoke, a bit weaker, but still okay. With her free hand, she withdrew her Digivice from her pocket, ready to fight. Shastina gained her balance, allowing Marc to get his Digivice and prepare for combat as well. Axeramon had a small smile on his face, ready to engage his two opponents. The Digimon stepped back.

"Tigramon…" "Xemon…"

"Digivolve to…"

"Toramon!" "Vormon!"

Toramon leaped back up onto the top of the hill, while Vormon clambered up, toppling weak and frail trees in the process. During that time, both Marc and Shastina were climbing back up, Marc assisting Shastina since she was wounded.

"Two Champions?" Axeramon asked, obviously sounding disappointed. He lowered his weapon. "You'll need at least one Ultimate before you even come close to being able to defeat me." The other two Digimon growled, angered by the remark.

"TYPOON PUNCH!" "DENKOU CLAW!"

Both Digimon leaped at Axeramon, striking with their respective attacks. The crimson armoured Digimon raised his weapon with such speed he easily deflected both attacks and struck both Digimon with his two handed, twin bladed, axe like weapon. The two staggered back, giving their opponent the time he needed to attack.

"TORMENT AERO!"

Axeramon slashed with his weapon. A shockwave erupted once it touched ground, flying right between both Digimon and knocking them both down, while tearing up the ground as it flew past. The two Humans behind covered their eyes when the attack flew past, dirt and grass flying everywhere.

"Pathetic…" Axeramon mocked, lowering his weapon once again. "Tao could've provided more challenge if he survived that duel against Drowsmon." Shastina instantly snapped her head towards that Digimon, provoked by that statement.

"Alright…then let's show him some challenge," Shastina thought. Toramon slowly rose to her feet, looking back at Shastina, as though reading her mind. The Digimon nodded, ready for another power boost. The White Digivice burst with energy.

"Toramon…Digivolve to…Siberimon!"

The Angel/Feline Digimon stretched out her wings, arms spread out and ready to fight some more. Axeramon raised his weapon once again, accepting the challenge brought before him. Vormon could only watch, the previous attack knocking the wind out of him. He remained stunned, vision blurred and pretty much disabled for a period of time, leaving Siberimon and Axeramon to conclude their duel.

Axeramon took the initiative, launching forward and reeling his weapon back to strike. Siberimon leaped into the air, barely evading the swing.

"HOLY DAGEKI!"

While in the air, Siberimon charged up Holy energy, launching the ball of power towards Axeramon, who quickly looked up towards her direction when he missed.

"No problem…" he muttered, swinging his weapon yet again. A small crimson aura surrounded each blade on the weapon. With the swing, Siberimon's attack was deflected, much like a baseball player would hit a ball. The Angel/Tiger Digimon was shocked by the revelation, leaving her open for attack. Axeramon took full advantage of the situation.

"INFERNO CRIMSON!"

The hail of kindle blasted towards Siberimon, nearly catching her off guard. In the few seconds she had, Siberimon managed to dodge the majority of the sparks, though some singed her skin and clothes.

The attack wasn't over however, with her back exposed to Axeramon while she evaded, it would be over all too quickly.

Axeramon leaped into the air, raising his weapon over his.

"Look out!!" Shastina screamed, but was too late with the warning. Axeramon brought his weapon down against Siberimon's back. There was a scream of pain, then blinding light surrounded the area, the Ultimate turning back to her Rookie form and falling into Shastina's arms, out cold. Axeramon gracefully landed, turning now to face Vormon, who was still stunned and trying to regain himself.

"Damn…things aren't looking good…" Marc thought, clutching his Digivice. "Crysdramon was thrashed last time he fought Axeramon…and Metamorphazimon is only 100% good in the water…"

Axeramon slowly advanced towards Vormon, knowing full well the temporary disabilities the other Digimon suffered.

"I can't give up!" Marc thought, gritting his teeth. "If I give up here…then all would be lost…" He quickly glanced over to Shastina, know was on her knees, her Digimon pulled to her chest. "Tao would kill me if he knew I let Shastina get harmed."

"In spite of darkness…there will always be light…" Marc remembered, a certain phrase Tao told him when thinking about hope. "Even if the light is dim, I still got to reach for it!" Marc rose, with renewed energy and determination in his eyes.

Which lead to the next event.

With untraceable speed, a golden blur of energy blasted past, cutting in between Vormon and Axeramon. The beam shot into the sky, then back down towards Marc, where it entered his Digivice. Axeramon's gaze was now turned towards the Digivice, with a new symbol in its database.

"And so the Crest of Hope has chosen again…" Axeramon thought. Marc didn't hesitate. He knew for any chance of success, he had to do something, and with the acquisition of another Crest, he had nothing to lose by trying.

"Vormon…Digivolve to…"

Golden energy surrounded Vormon, changing his form and empowering the dragon. His wings grew larger, and his neck longer, and his tail grew in length.

"Millenimon!"

The aura subsided, leaving a pure white dragon with majestic wings in Vormon's place. Short red and blue stripes trailed down his back, and long black stripes across the outside of his arms. His emerald eyes regarded Axeramon, before he stretched out his wings and shouted a mighty roar.

"Ahh…this is more like it…" Axeramon thought next, knowing if this kind of progress is to keep up, he would join Drowsmon in deletion. "Well…I might as well make the most of it," he spoke aloud, rushing forward towards the larger target. The Digimon raised his axe like weapon, hoping to open a large wound against the dragon's chest. Millenimon swatted the weapon with his massive claw, continuing to spin with his swipe and attacking with his tail. Axeramon, despite being knocked off balance and with the weight of his armour and his weapon, back flipped out of the way, his right arm wrapped around the weapon that was parallel to his back and arm.

"Impressive…" Axeramon thought. "Quite agile for such a monstrous creature." Millenimon was also thinking thoughts like that on the same line.

"For someone so armed and armoured…he can move fast…" the Holy Dragon thought, knowing now it would be difficult to strike this humanoid Digimon with conventional methods. Millenimon raised his head, howled out and unleashing a beam of energy into the sky above.

"SPRAY OF HOPE!"

Laser fine rain began to fall, each charged with Holy energy. Axeramon had no way to avoid the attack, so all he could do was brace himself, ready to absorb as much pain as possible, like he has always done whenever he and Drowsmon practiced. The rain was short lived…the pouring beginning to subsided. Axeramon quickly leaped back to his feet and rushed forward again, believing he could get an attack in before Millenimon could respond.

"VORTEX OF GOODNESS!"

Millenimon now unleashed a stream of fire from his mouth, the rope of fire wrapping around Axeramon. The flame was unusual, with a white and silver glow to it instead of the normal crimson.

"Holy fire…" Axeramon thought. "This dragon is prepared…" The whip of fire enclosed on him, scorching his armour, though not hurting the Digimon himself in anyway. "Thank you again dear armour…" Axeramon praised, looking back up at the dragon. "He has proven his worth. There is no more need to test him," Axeramon remembered, knowing full well he can't afford to use his full power yet.

"Until next time then!" he shouted, bowing his head and then running back into the forest behind him at an incredible speed. Both Shastina and Marc blinked.

"We won?" Marc thought. Millenimon reverted back to Xemon, who also had a confused look on his face with the sudden end to the battle.

Fin

****

Completed: 01/15/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	23. Episode 23-The Love Within

****

The Love Within

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_I have seen today what happens when one is lost. Strange…they will continue to march…and continue to fight…as long as to succeed in their goal._

I have to stay…and fight…fight for both worlds…even if it means my life…

~Diary of the lost Destined

* * * * * *

Marc lay down on his bed, his Digivice on the night table beside him. On the screen was the other half of Tao's Crest of Hope.

"Well…I guess it really isn't Tao's Crest of Hope anymore…" Marc thought, turning to face Xemon, who slept peacefully on the bed. Marc smiled lightly at the dragon's sleeping, wondering if he'll ever see a dragon sleep like that before. Marc sighed, turning onto his back and facing out the window. The night sky was clear, not a single cloud to block out the moon.

"Tao…I have the other half of your Crest…" he spoke softly. "Come back so we can make it complete…" Marc glanced back towards his Digivice, then to his computer.

"Come back for all of us…especially for Shas…"

* * * * * *

Shastina sat down on the grass in her backyard. Her knees were pulled into her chest as she stared the moon high above. Tigramon was watching from the roof above.

"She's distant…" Tigramon thought. "I wonder if she believed what Marc said about Tao…"

"Marc truly believed Tao was alive…" the Digimon thought, leaping down from the roof with such grace that her landing didn't make a sound. "He believe to a point where the Crest of Hope recognized him." Tigramon glanced towards Shastina again.

"She believes…" Tigramon thought after analyzing her partner again. "She has too…"

* * * * * *

Tiberius was busily clicking on the keyboard, continuing his research. The fact that it was early morning didn't not bother him, despite the fact he only had one hour of sleep the night before.

He sat in the back of Yasmine's store, analyzing Digimon and certain properties in the Digital World. He choose this location to research since he didn't have to hide Lepumon as much and that he felt more comfortable if his parents didn't find out about his Digital secret.

"How long you planning to use that comp?" Yasmine asked, leaning against the doorframe. There was a serious look on her face, but Tiberius didn't noticed at first.

"Interesting discoveries…" Tiberius quickly answered. "Apparently the weapons the Digimon use carry their own properties, which can be used by other Digi-"

"No, just what are you doing?" Yasmine interrupted, agitated now. Tiberius blinked.

"I'm researching…" he spoke softly. Yasmine shook her head and sighed.

"You're masking your own fear and despair…" she answered for him, stepping back into the store. Tiberius wasn't sure how to respond even if the first generation Digi-Destined stayed behind and waited for a response.

* * * * * *

Yasmine sighed, her face faulting.

"Maybe I was too hard on him…" Yasmine thought. "He did lose a friend after all…and he might lose another one too…" Yuriko sighed again, not sure if she did the right thing to blast the truth right into Tiberius' face.

"Oh Tsurugi…I wish you were here right now…" she spoke softly, placing a smile on her face when a customer came to the counter.

* * * * * *

Biyomon sat in the tree, on a large branch, her legs dangling over the side. Xemon sat down beside her, his claws into the tree to prevent himself from falling. The tree was covered with snow, making it nearly impossible to see anyone within. The two Digimon picked this branch near the bottom since it was dry.

However, silence was between the two, as neither knew what to say.

"He's out there…isn't he?" Biyomon finally spoke, looking towards the sky through a small break in the snow on the tree. Xemon also looked up, following her gaze.

"Marc believes Tao is alive…" Xemon answered. "Then…you should believe Harriermon is alive…"

"Harrier…" Biyomon spoke softly, lowering her head again and sniffling. Xemon glanced over, unsure how else to calm the bird Digimon. Releasing his left claw on the branch and placing it over her shoulder. Biyomon started to cry now, with a shoulder to weep over, and she made good use of Xemon's shoulder.

"Man…Harrier…come back soon friend…" Xemon thought.

* * * * * *

The two Digi-Destined sat on the park bench, arms on their lap and eyes on the tree in the distance.

"Biyomon is so distant now…" Sora commented softly, feeling terrible for allowing her friend and companion to fall into such a state. Marc sighed, hoping Xemon can get Biyomon out of the condition she was in.

"Have faith…" Marc spoke in a surprisingly calm tone. Sora slowly turned her head to face him, wondering how he could possibly be so calm when he just lost one of his closest friends. As if Marc was reading her mind, he replied:

"Like I said…have faith…" A shiver went up Sora's spine, wondering how he knew. She turned her head back towards the tree, all covered with snow and no way to see what was going on inside.

* * * * * *

Hours passed by quickly for Tiberius as he dwelled on the words Yasmine told him only a not so short while ago. Lepumon was constantly asking his partner what was the matter, but only got a silent response.

Tiberius sat at the table in the back room, arms crossed, head up and staring towards the far wall. It wasn't until Yasmine tossed some take out food in paper bags onto the table did Tiberius snap out of his trance.

"I'm offering some dinner before you go home," she spoke, sitting down at the table. Tiberius nodded slowly, though not making a move for the food. Yasmine sat down, worry on her face now. "Listen Tiberius, I knew I shouldn't have snapped at you…but someone had to slap some sense into you." Tiberius continued to remain silent, staring at the bags in front of him. Yasmine sighed, unsure how else to get to that boy. In the end, Tiberius paved his own way.

"He is a strange one…" Tiberius spoke softly. Yasmine looked up at the boy. "Tao…that is…"

"Why do you say that?" Yasmine asked, intrigued.

"He went as far as to lose his life for Shastina…" Tiberius spoke after a little thought. "In a way…he also lead us. A leader…unconditionally, and strangely enough, didn't seem to release that responsibility." Tiberius sighed, placing his Digivice onto the table. "Maybe he deserves this Crest of Leadership more then I do."

"The Crest choose who they want to choose," Yasmine told Tiberius. Before she could continue, a black aura surrounded Tiberius' Digivice, before a black beam blasted past and out the window. Both Digi-Destined blinked.

"I guess it choose again then," Tiberius spoke softly, dropping his head onto the table again.

"But who did it choose?" Yasmine thought. "There was only three to choose…"

"Or is there four…?" she thought next, hopeful for the latter answer.

* * * * * *

Marc and Sora walked side by side, their Digimon trailing far behind as they walked back towards their residence. Their was a strange silence surrounding them yet again as they continued to walk, their feet crunching snow from the unpaved sidewalks.

It wasn't until Marc's Digivice began to go off did something interesting happen.

He quickly grabbed his Digivice, the locator function automatically going off. There were three dots on the screen, one for him, one for Sora, and one for another.

Sora also took her Digivice, the same thing happening on her's. Both turned their gaze at the location, and both weren't sure what it meant.

"Strange how our traveling took us here…I must admit now," Marc spoke softly, seeing the signal coming from inside of Tao's house. However, as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared again. Both Digivices died down again, leaving the two Digi-Destined and their Digimon confused.

"And what does that mean?" Xemon spoke, gazing back up to Marc. Biyomon had hopeful eyes.

"I don't know…" Marc answered for his Digimon. "But…I got some ideas…" He shook his head. "But I won't explore those ideas yet." He turned back to face Sora. "Let's get you home…I'm sure Ioji and co. is worried about you." Sora nodded slowly, knowing full well Ioji would be worried since she disappeared to meet with Marc that morning. The four continued on their way. Marc, however, kept on the eye on Tao's house, wondering if his theory was right.

* * * * * *

Two blades clashed, echoing across the forested area. Two adversaries circled around, neither advancing nor retreating. One let out a war cry, rushing forward with reckless courage. The attackers blow was easily deflected, then countered, knocking the attacker down. He exhaled.

"You need to be patient," the more experienced of the two spoke. The other nodded, slowly getting back up. He raised his blade again, before noticing a bright like in the distance.

"Practice is done…" he spoke. "More have arrived."

* * * * * *

K.H. never liked being forced into the Digital World, but sometimes, the God's left him little choice in the matter.

"It seems like we're on our own this time…" Kinoumon spoke, noticing they were the only ones who came. "Or we came in separate locations."

"Either way…I don't feel safe being alone," K.H. told his Digimon.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you!" Kinoumon spoke energetically. That was one of the few things K.H. was thankful for now a days. He knew his Digimon could protect him.

"It's just a matter of how far he'll go to save me…" K.H. thought. He glanced back towards his companion, who had a sweet and innocent smile on his dragon like face. "He's got the confidence…I'll give it that much…" K.H. thought, chuckling. "Come on, let's get this over with." Kinoumon nodded, standing by his side as they headed into the forest before them.

* * * * * *

The two swordsmen watched K.H. in the distance, his Digimon standing by his side. Kinoumon had a happy look on his face, but the two couldn't say that for K.H.

"So…Love is supposed to be revealed here?" the 'less patient' of the two asked.

"Well, if you believe what _he _said, then it should…" the other responded, emphasizing 'he'. He placed the weapon on a sheath across his back. The other one followed the example, though he had no sheath to place it in, and instead wrapped it in cloth.

"I don't know what to believe anymore…" the first replied. He glanced up at K.H. "He's confused…" The second turned his head to face his partner.

"What makes you so sure," he questioned.

"Intuition," the first answered, standing up. "Let them be, they'll figure out what they have to do," he told the second. The second stood up as well, nodding his answer. The two headed deeper into the forest, away from the upcoming battle.

* * * * * *

K.H. body was walking, but his mind was somewhere else.

"I know Kinoumon cares about me…" he thought. "But…do I care for him?"

"I can't feel it…For the amount of time I've been around him…it's no different then I've been to anyone else…"

K.H. sighed, getting a concerned look from his Digimon. K.H. looked down and forced a smile, hoping to wash away the concern from his Digimon's mind.

"He cares for me…but I'm not sure if I do for him…" K.H. thought next, looking up at the branches above. "There's supposed to be a bond between Humans and Digimon…"

"But…I just don't see it within me…" he spoke softly.

"Pardon?" Kinoumon asked, hearing that small voice.

"It's nothing," K.H. replied quickly, again forcing another smile. Kinoumon was beginning to get suspicious, but didn't pursue the subject.

"K.H….if there's something bothering you…don't hesitate to tell me," Kinoumon spoke in a semi-unbelievable serious tone. "I'm your partner and friend…I don't like it when you start bottling feelings up." K.H. stayed quite, unsure how to make of it.

"Well, isn't that cute?" the Digimon asked, surprising both Human and Digimon alike. Both looked up ahead.

In the distance, hovering over the ground was Digimon wearing emerald coloured armour. The wings on the back of this humanoid like Digimon was clearly from a dragon origin, as was the helmet he wore. He wore a pair of silver duel-pronged claws.

"It has come to my attention that Axeramon wishes you Digi-Destined eliminated," he continued. "What better time then now," he added, sadism clear in his tone. Kinoumon stepped in front of K.H., the small dragon/insect Digimon ready to protect his partner.

"What's this, a Rookie is going to oppose me?" he asked, laughing uncontrollably.

"He won't be a Rookie much longer…" K.H. muttered, taking his green Digivice. Energy began to empower the Rookie Digimon.

"Kinoumon…Digivolve to…Legionarimon!"

The Dragon-like Digimon stopped laughing, regarding the new opponent.

"Much better," he replied, glad to actually have a decent challenge. "The name is Zoterimon, your executioner!" With those words, he rushed forward, diving down at Legionarimon.

"SONIC MANDIBLES!"

The shockwave of energy flew across the air and right at Zoterimon. He grinned, batting the attack away with one arm and pointing the other arm out to impale Legionarimon.

"Look out!" K.H. shouted out. Legionarimon tried to side step the attack, but his adversary proved to be too fast, jamming a claw into his flesh, bypassing the armour Legionarimon had. Legionarimon cried out in pain as the claw withdrew, drawing blood.

"Legionarimon!" K.H. cried out, rushing forward with little regard to his safety of the matter. Zoterimon glanced to his side where K.H. was running in from. There was a glisten in his eyes, then he dived down at the human.

"K.H.!!" Legionarimon exclaimed, leaping towards the boy. He knocked him over, the clean claw of Zoterimon embedding into his back. The insect like Digimon grunted in pain, but refused to scream out.

"You crazy kid…" the insect groaned. K.H. stared at Legionarimon, unsure how else to take it. K.H. was surprised how he reacted when Legionarimon was wounded. Even after that blow to his side, Legionarimon still protected his partner.

"You can't fight anymore," K.H. told his friend. "With those two wounds…" K.H. didn't finish, as Zoterimon backed up a bit and started slashing at the back of Legionarimon rapidly. He didn't budge, didn't cry, all the Digimon did was absorb pain for his friend.

"Legionarimon…don't do this…" K.H. told his partner. He refused to listen, and didn't budge, only allowed for the continue assault on his back.

"He's not reverting back to his Rookie…" K.H. thought. "Even with all the abuse he's taking, he won't change…just to protect me…" K.H. closed his eyes, knowing he felt the same for his Digimon. It anything, he would've preferred it to be the other way around. Slowly he opened his eyes, pain clearly visible on Legionarimon's face.

"Time to go Ultimate…" K.H. thought. On cue, a crimson beam of energy blasted from the inner part of the forest. The beam stalled Zoterimon for a second as it entered K.H.'s Digivice. The boy nodded, seeing the other half of Tao's Crest of Love on his Digivice. "Step it up a level!" he cried out, pointing the Digivice towards Legionarimon.

"Legionarimon…Digivolve to…"

Crimson energy engulfed the insect Digimon. A cry of defiance emerged from the energy as it slowly shrunk into a new form, more humanoid then insect. It was hard to distinguish the features of this Digimon until the energy subsided.

"Aikoumon!"

The humanoid/bird Digimon stood tall, his purple skin shown to all. His blue talon like feet dug into the ground. There were wings on his back as well as wings on his waist. His facial features were invisible behind that blue mask like object that was one with his head. The Digimon raised his right arm towards Zoterimon, twin pronged claws visible.

"That won't help you!" Zoterimon screamed out. Aikoumon narrowed his eyes, the only facial feature that one could see. He leaped into the air, flying past the tree line. Zoterimon, annoyed by that maneuver quickly flew up after him, leaving K.H. on the ground and barely able to see anything through the dense vegetation.

"Running isn't going to save you," the dragon winged Digimon hissed, arriving at the same altitude as his enemy.

"I never intended on running," Aikoumon responded softly. Zoterimon growled, rushing forward to finish the job once and for all. The dragon winged Digimon slashed hard, but was easily parried by the other claw user. Swings and strike were quickly exchanged as the two soared across the sky. It wasn't until Aikoumon broke off from the fight and started to fly away did Zoterimon get truly angered with the lack of blood.

"Come back here!" he shouted, chasing after his prey. Aikoumon looked back once, seeing how exposed his foe was to attack.

"Perfect…" he thought, quickly turning 180 degrees and stopping in the air.

"SPIN DRIVE!"

The discus of wind energy blasted forward and struck Zoterimon, who had no time to defend against the attack. The Digimon was stunned for the moment Aikoumon needed.

The bird like Digimon flew back towards Zoterimon, claw extended. With all the force he could, Aikoumon drove his claw into the body of the other, drips of blood trailing down and falling towards the trees below.

Zoterimon looked down at the weapon impaled on his body, then back up to Aikoumon, slowly.

"Curse…you…" he muttered, breaking into bits of data. Aikoumon exhaled, slowly descending to the ground below. K.H. watched as much as he could and quickly caught the now Rookie Digimon in his hand.

"I…I got him good…" Kinoumon told K.H. while he lay in his arms. His wounds were closed, but he was clearly tired from that ordeal of pain. K.H. sighed, hugging the Digimon and preparing a portal to get back home.

"You deserve a break," K.H. told his Digimon.

Fin

****

Completed: 02/01/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	24. Episode 24-Reunited Blossom

****

Reunited Blossom

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_Forever has my heart longed to see him again. Forever has it tormented me to know that I pushed him away. I haven't seen him since that day._

If I could relive that moment, I wouldn't have let it happened.

I can only hope he forgives me.

~Diary of Yuriko 'Yasmine' Yashida, first generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

Once again, sword clashed around the forest as the two fighters continued to practice against each other. The 'impatient' was short of breath, but his adversary seemed not to be tired by this exercise.

"We should take a break," the second, less tired one spoke, lowering his weapon.

"No!" the first protested, rushing forward. The second frowned, but quickly rose his weapon to deflect the blow. The force of the block knocked the first to the ground, panting.

"Damnit…why are you so persistent?" the second asked, thrusting his blade into the soft ground.

"I lost her once almost, I won't be weak to lose her again!" the first yelled out, leaping back up with renewed vigor and striking with a cross slash. The second stepped back, evading the sloppy attack.

"If you fight like that, you're going to get yourself killed," the second commented, quickly drawing his weapon from the ground and knocking the blade out of his companions hand, quickly striking the weakness in his form. The weapon fell onto the ground with a soft thud. Just as quickly, the second placed the tip of the blade mere inches away from the first throat. "Take a break…we've going to long at this…"

The first finally conceded, falling backwards and flat onto the ground. He knew he shouldn't let his anger get to him…but he always blamed himself for what happened on that day…even if it should have been him to go down then.

The first turned his towards the sword that lay on the ground, the weapon that used to belong to a murderer that wasn't really a murderer.

"Sincerity is next…" the first spoke plainly.

"If he remains true to his word, then yes, it is," the second added for no reason in particular, only to state his doubt at the source of information. There was silence as the first reached for his weapon, ready once again to train.

* * * * * *

Yasmine stared outside at the night sky, admiring the moonlight and stars. Her store was closed, and the only other occupants of the store now was her Digimon, Tiberius, and his Digimon. In her hands lay a small blue book, string bound.

"Can he ever forgive me…" she thought, placing a hand on her book. Being reminded of the Digi-Destined brought up many memories, good and bad alike. She glanced back at the other three, who were helping clean up the messes left in the store. She only now revisited this diary which she kept tucked away all so long, with that final journal entry months after her last visit to the Digital World.

"Forever has my heart longed to see him again. Forever has it tormented me to know that I pushed him away. I haven't seen him since that day. If I could relive that moment, I wouldn't have let it happened. I can only hope he forgives me."

Yasmine recited those lines, firmly imprinted in her mind since the day she wrote those down in that blue diary.

She looked down at the diary. Even the book had memories. It was a birthday present from her close friend, closer then normal.

"I know where he is now…" Yasmine thought. "But…will he ever forgive me? Can I even forgive him?" She turned around, watching the trio finish their cleaning duties. She regarded her Digimon, who slowly turned to face her. The plant like Digimon looked away again, seeing the despair and confusion in her eyes.

"She knows…" Yasmine thought. "She can see it…She-" Her train of thought was broken by the sudden beeping All eyes fell on Tiberius, who removed his Digivice from his pocket.

"And so more portals have opened…" he spoke, his final words in the Real World for a while.

* * * * * *

Marc sat in the Coffee Time table, one of those booths against the wall. In his hands was a flavored cappuccino and between him and the wall sat Xemon, trying to remain out of view from other customers.

The teenage boy was deep in thought, wondering when, or perhaps if Tao would come back to the Real World. The boy has yet to give up hope, and as long as he carries the Crest of Hope, he'll remain patient for his companions return.

"May I?" a voice asked. Marc looked up, seeing Damon carrying a cup of coffee. "May I join you?" he asked again.

"Go right ahead," Marc answered, looking back down at his drink. Damon sat down and regarded his student and friend for a moment.

"He'll come back…if you keep believing," Damon told Marc. Once again the boy looked up at Damon, wondering if it was just a coincidence that his teacher was here the same time he was.

"Why did you come?" Marc asked plainly, suspicious, but not known in his tone. Damon sighed, glancing down at Xemon before back at his student.

"So…you don't believe in coincidences?" Damon asked, trying to avoid the subject.

"Not when a my teacher who is a Dig-Destined appears and asks me something relating to the Digital World and Digi-Destined," Marc answered without taking a single breath. Damon chuckled slightly, amused by the answer.

"Need a drive home?" Damon asked. Marc looked outside through a window far away, noticing it was pretty stormy out there, especially with freezing rain pouring down. The teenager then checked his watch, and realized if he took the bus, he'll not make it home on time.

"Alright," Marc agreed, lifting his jacket from the seat. He put it on and allowed Xemon to hop into his school bag underneath the table, even though the dragon Digimon hated it.

"You need a better way to get me around," Xemon protested, before getting partially zipped up.

"Thank heavens for a big bag," Marc whispered to Damon as the younger Digi-Destined slid his bag out from under the table and shouldered it.

"I heard that!" Xemon's muffled cry came. Marc winced, and quickly made his way outside with Damon. The pair plus one carried Digimon headed towards the car that belonged to the teacher.

"Where do you live?" Damon asked, about to unlock the door to his car. Marc couldn't respond, as his Digivice began to go off.

"Err…for now…I live in the Digital World," Marc replied hastily.

* * * * * *

"I'm back in the Digital World…" Yasmine thought, a bit disoriented with the trip, but still fine. She stood beside Tiberius, trying to figure out their bearings. "I doubt he's here…but…things happen…" Yasmine thought next, a strange nagging feeling that she knew this location.

In front of them stood a large circular lake, with a river flowing in from the north and flowing out towards the south through the lake. At the center of the lake was a small island with one large tree and stepping stones leading towards it starting at two points at the edge of the lake.

"Wait…" Yasmine thought, looking at Tiberius.

"I'll be back," she told her companion, before leaping off the stepping stones and onto the small island in the middle of the lake. Tiberius didn't have time to protest as by the time he realized where she was going, the first generation Digi-Destined was already half way to the island.

"What's with her?" Lepumon asked the other Digimon. Botanimon shrugged, but then a thought struck her, and it also occurred to her the relevance of that island.

"I think…" she started, unsure whether to answer or not. "I think…there's memories here that hurt her…but she has to face them…" Lepumon was confused with that response, and therefore decided to let Yasmine do what she had to.

* * * * * *

Yasmine stood in front of the tree, staring up at the branches far above. Somehow, despite the length of time that passed since her Digital World adventure, this tree hasn't grown at all.

She remembered what this tree was for, and it hurt her to think about it.

Yuriko placed a hand on the tree bark and sliding slowly to the right. She found what she wanted to find.

Two initials were carved out of the tree, one was Y.Y. The other was T.H. A heart shape was carved around the two.

"That was so long ago…" Yasmine thought, recalling the memories. The blade which she and he carved their initials with and proclaimed their love.

"We were young and naïve," he spoke from behind. Yasmine quickly whirled around, identifying the stranger nearly instantly.

"Tsurugi…" Yasmine whispered, taken aback by his sudden presence. Damon sighed, also approached the tree.

"Yuriko…" he replied softly, running a finger on the heart. "It's…been a while…" Damon answered, unsure what else to say at the moment.

* * * * * *

"What's going on?" Marc asked Tiberius, stepping up beside his Digi-Destined companion. Tiberius shrugged, before turning to Botanimon for answers.

"Is-is t-that Tsurugi?" she asked, pointing towards the other person on the island. Marc nodded, turning back towards the two island dwellers again.

"What's with them?" Xemon asked the plant Digimon.

"It's a long story…" Botanimon replied. "Something…I would rather not go into…" She sat down at the edge of the lake, dipping her feet into it. She gazed down at her reflection, not wanting to see the scene between Damon and Yasmine.

* * * * * *

"So…how's life been…?" Damon asked, trying to spark some conversation. Yasmine remained silent, and Damon began to start doubting this visit.

"It's been…different…" she answered, a hint of something in her voice which Damon couldn't identify.

"How so?" Damon persisted, though he knew that asking that question could lead to some unfavorable results. Yasmine sighed, sitting down on the grass, and running a finger through the water.

"Just…different…" Yasmine replied, omitting the 'without you' section of the sentence. However, Damon knew what was omitted, just by pure intuition. Damon sat down beside Yasmine, placing an arm around her.

"Can't we put that behind us…?" he asked her. She quickly snapped her head in the teachers direction.

"You think it's that easy?!" she screamed, startling Damon and definitely getting the attention of the other Digi-Destined and their Digimon. "You think I can just forget what happened on that day?!" Damon was taken aback by her anger.

"You left on that day…you left me broken and shatter…and now you want me to put it behind me?!" she cried out, pushing Damon away. The teacher rolled backwards and away from Yasmine. "Just leave me alone!!"

* * * * * *

Marc, Tiberius, and Damon sat in a circle, unsure how to approach the situation. Yasmine remained on the island and refused to talk with anyone. The Digimon were going about their separate ways, but were unenthusiastic with the last event that transpired.

"Damon…what did happen on that day?" Marc asked, finally breaking the silence. His teacher looked up, then back down at the grass.

"He left Japan…" Botanimon answered, entering the circle. "Yasmine told me about when we finally were reunited…it was one of the few things she reluctantly told me…"

Damon regarded Botanimon, the plant like Digimon knew a bit, but not everything.

"Did she tell you why?" Damon asked her. Botanimon looked up at Damon, giving a partial answer.

"She said you left because you couldn't be with her anymore…" Botanimon answered. "For personal reasons…" Damon sighed, remembering those words.

"How'd I know she would take that the wrong way…" Damon muttered under his breath. "Yeah…I did leave…for personal reasons…" he spoke up. "But I guess 'personal' was the wrong word…"

"What do you mean?" Botanimon asked, blinking in confusion.

"It was more like family reasons…" Damon answered, falling onto the grass. "Sort of an old history between our families."

"Explain," Tiberius asked in one word, curious with this predicament. Damon sighed again, finding the right words.

"I guess you could say it's a Romeo and Juliet thing," he answered. "My family hated their family, but not to point where they would start a gang war."

"And not to the point where both of you are six feet under…" Marc added softly.

"We tried to keep it a secret…but…I guess we slipped sooner or later…" Damon continued. "My parents were devastated, and told me I should stop seeing her, or they'll take drastic measures."

"Of course that didn't stop me…" Damon told them. "And eventually…to stop me, my parents forced us to move away."

"And then Yuriko didn't want to talk with me anymore…because of this…" he concluded, glancing back at the young woman that sat on the island. "I don't think she has forgiven me for it, nor have I forgiven myself for abandoning her." There was silence as neither Human nor Digimon made a move to console each other. Slowly, Tiberius stood up and walked over to Damon.

"You have to talk to her," Tiberius told the other. Damon looked up.

"You think it's that simple?!" Damon asked angrily. "If I could talk to her…I would…but…"

"Damon…you just _need _to talk to her to make her understand…" Tiberius pleaded. "I've been in my share of ditches, and Yasmine has pulled me out of a few of them. You should now pull her out of this one…" Damon sighed, unsure to talk the advice his comrade is giving him right to the heart.

"Alright…I'll try…" he spoke softly, standing up.

"Don't try…you'll succeed, because you two just can't be separated," Tiberius continued.

"Do you sincerely believe that?" Damon asked dubiously. Tiberius nodded slowly, having absolute faith in this.

* * * * * *

Shastina sighed, dropping her pen. Her diary lay open on her desk, but she couldn't write anything in it, much like how she couldn't write anything in it for the last week. She gazed over to her Digivice, the white item sitting idly on her table. Tigramon was no where to be seen. As it was, the pair seem to be distant from each other also for the past week.

Emerald energy began to build on her Digivice, scaring her initially. She glanced at the screen, the Crest of Sincerity clearly visible.

A streak of energy blasted past her and towards places unknown.

* * * * * *

All serenity with the scenery was shattered as Yasmine let out a loud cry of panic. All eyes turned to the center island as a massive frog like Digimon leapt out of the water and onto the island. Yasmine scrambled onto the other side of the island, however trapped since there were no stepping stones off at that side.

"Yuriko!" Damon cried out. Tiberius quickly pulled out his Digivice and scanned the Digimon.

_Sienmon: Amphibious Digimon. These large frogs usually inhabit small lakes. Main attack: Blast Bubble. An Ultimate level Digimon._

"Lepumon, level it up!" Tiberius told his Digimon, shutting down his Digimon Analyzer program. If anything, Tiberius knew they will need one Ultimate to crush the other one. His brown Digivice began to charge with energy.

"Lepumon…Digivolve to…Bukkomon!"

"Alright, you to Xemon!" Marc exclaimed, preparing his Digivice as well. Sienmon slowly glimpsed the others, then quickly turned to face them.

"BLAST BUBBLE!"

A spray of bubbles jetted towards both Botanimon and Xemon at high speed. The two Digimon were taken completely by surprised and knocked down. The sticky substance from the bubbles glued the two Digimon to the ground, leaving both immobile for an indefinite period of time.

"Damn…that's already two down…" Tiberius thought, ready to take it to the Ultimate stage. It wasn't until a emerald streak of energy dived from the sky, circled around Bukkomon, then entered Tiberius' Digivice. He glanced at the screen, but judging from the colour of the streak, he guessed Sincerity.

And when he checked, he was right, it was the same Crest.

"Well, better now then never to try this out," Tiberius thought, charging his Digivice with the power of the Crest. Again, his Digivice surged with energy.

"Bukkomon…Digivolve to…"

The white rabbit slowly grew bigger, his features partially hidden with emerald energy. The emerald energy slowly faded, revealing a green cross on his forehead, plus emerald stripes across his arms and legs. His tail and chest was clearly green, and he also seemed to grow two tail fins, also green. Small purple flowers began to sprout from his wrists and ankles, forming bracelets. Two small flowers bloomed on the tip of his ears as well as around his neck.

"Chouzanmon!"

The Digimon admired his new form temporary until Sienmon leaped over to the mainland, confronting the rabbit like Digimon.

"BLAST BUBBLE!"

The high speed jets of water bubbles blasted at the rabbit, but just as quickly Chouzanmon leaped into the air with his powerful hind legs and evading the attack completely. Chouzanmon somersaulted backwards, and unleashed his own attack.

"GAIA FORCE!"

Wind picked up quickly, launching hundreds of Cherry Blossoms at Sienmon. The leaves were razor sharp, chopping at the unprepared toad. Eventually, the wind subsided, blowing the remaining blossoms away, as well as black data that once was Sienmon himself.

* * * * * *

Damon sighed, standing behind Yasmine. Once the battle died down at the Digimon recovered, they were back in the predicament they were in before. Damon confessed his entire story to Yasmine, but he wasn't sure if he got through to her.

He knew what Tiberius said was true. The Crest of Sincerity did belong to that boy for a reason. Damon didn't doubt that, but he now doubted any chance of getting Yasmine back.

Yasmine slowly stood up and faced her companion.

"Tsurugi…I…I…" Yasmine staggered, unable to articulate herself.

"Yuriko," Damon quickly interrupted. "If you don't want to be with me…I underst-" Damon was quickly interrupted as Yasmine decided to let actions talk for her words.

She pressed her lips against his. Damon was initially surprised, but let the moment set, not protesting once for that entire minute they were together, finally reunited.

Fin

****

Completed: 02/05/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	25. Episode 25-Power of Friendship

****

Power of Friendship

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_A friend is someone who's there for you, no matter what the case is._

Just because they disagree with you doesn't mean they hate you. Just because you both have separate views doesn't mean you aren't friends. Just because you start punching doesn't mean you will never talk to each other.

I guess it's what you would call 'bonding' in all these situations.

~Diary of Yamato 'Matt' Ishida, second generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

"So…in the end…Yasmine and Damon got back together…" Shastina spoke softly, sighing and closing her Digivice. Marc sent her an e-mail relating to the days events, and despite the happy ending, it still left something missing in her heart. Tigramon leaped onto her shoulder, knowing what was wrong when half of the e-mail was complete.

"It's like a fairy tale, isn't it?" Shastina spoke aloud. Tigramon wasn't sure how the respond, but the Digimon knew her partner's heart ached for the one person she opened up to before this entire Digi-Destined thing started.

"Shas…" Tigramon started. "If you believe like Marc does, then he'll come back." Shastina sighed, leaning back on the chair.

"I know he'll come back…" Shastina replied. "I just wish Tao would come back sooner…I can't stand this waiting…" Tigramon licked her partner in the cheek, then leaped down onto the floor and back up onto the bed.

"She knows…" Tigramon thought, curling up onto the bed. "But does she believe…I still can't tell…" The Digimon sighed, closing her eyes.

"Tao…please come back soon…" she muttered.

* * * * * *

"Marc…what are we doing here?" Xemon asked, trying to stay well hidden in his bag. Marc didn't answer, only stood still and watched Tao's house. Marc held his Digivice in his hand, waiting for something to happen. The teenager had a hunch, and hoped that the hunch didn't disappoint him.

"Just be patient…" Marc responded softly.

"I would be more patient if I WASN'T STUCK IN THIS BAG!" he exclaimed, kicking Marc's back. Marc lowered his head and shook it, grinning lightly.

"Got to love that Digimon," he thought. His train of thought was interrupted. Marc's Digivice began to go off once again, showing another Digi-Destined close by now.

"Yeah…I was right…" Marc thought, looking back up at the house where the signal was coming from. "So why won't you show yourself?" Marc thought, noticing the signal faded already. He sighed, and began to walk back to his own house.

"Well…at least Biyomon will be sleeping easier…" Marc thought next, closing his mind off. "Depends I guess…"

* * * * * *

Tigramon sat on the computer, watching the screen. It was difficult for her to type with her tiny body and small claws, but she making an effort. Shastina left to do something, but never informed Tigramon of what she was doing.

"She's getting more distant…" Tigramon typed in slowly. The Digimon waited patiently for a response from the other side. The small ICQ symbol changed into a flashing yellow message card, which Tigramon sloppily opened with the mouse.

"Man…this can't be good…" the message said.

"I know Marc, but there's only so much she can believe in," Tigramon typed in slowly, then pressing the 'send' button.

"Well, then I'm going to have to find Tao and beat some sense into him for letting Shastina fall into such a state."

Tigramon winced at the wording, though she knew that Marc wouldn't go as far as to beat his friend to a pulp.

"Do you know where he is?" Tigramon instead asked, thankful Marc couldn't see her. She also hoped Marc could bring Tao home before Shastina breaks down completely.

"I'll have to do some searching…and the Digital World is big…" he answered. "I just wish I knew why he doesn't want to come back…" Marc sent in another message before Tigramon could respond.

"Maybe he's in despair," Tigramon suggested. "He does have a strong belief he failed Shastina."

"I'm beginning to doubt he still exist…to tell the truth…." Marc answered. Tigramon was shocked to read about this revelation.

"But…the Crest of Hope choose you for a reason! You can't give up!" Tigramon protested. There was a long silence after this message was sent. Tigramon began to wonder if Marc was truly thinking about his words or if the connection was just acting up again.

"…" was his response, before his ICQ persona went off-line, leaving Tigramon confused and worried for the team now.

"We're falling apart…" she whispered, leaping down from the desk, making sure to close the ICQ program beforehand. "And if we don't stay together, then there's no way to we can protect the Digital World…" Tigramon sighed, losing hope herself with the situation.

"Please…let there be a light to guide us…" she spoke softly, almost in a religious tone.

* * * * * *

"Marc…I hope we're searching for Tao while we're here…" Xemon spoke, unaffected by the cold weather that surrounded them. Marc didn't answer, nor did he seem affected by the arctic weather where they decided to pick as their destination in the Digital World.

"…" was Marc's response as the pair trudged along the snow. Thankfully it wasn't snowing, so the weather was sort of manageable. There was silence as the two continued to walk across the snow filled terrain.

* * * * * *

The two leaned back against the same tree, far from where Marc was exploring in the arctic region. Their blades were imbedded on the ground beside the tree as both were tired from their last practice.

"Shastina…with Friendship…" the second told the first, stating who's Crest will be revealed next. The first remained silent, holding a small canteen of water in his hand, but not taking a sip from it yet.

"She'll pass, you don't have to worry," the second tried to console the first. He remained quite still, finally taking a small sip.

"It'll be cold…" the first spoke softly. The second wasn't sure how to respond, knowing full well what the first was concerned about.

"Come on, let's train some more," the second offer, standing up and retrieving his weapon. The first stayed seated however, not moving from his spot, deaf to the previous statement.

"Or maybe not…" the second thought, driving his sword back into the ground and sitting down. There was silence between the two partners.

* * * * * *

Shastina flopped onto her bed, still in a horrid mood. No matter what she thought, she couldn't bring herself out of her negative mood.

"Shas…" Tigramon whimpered, leaping onto the bed and curling up beside Shastina. The teenage human glanced over to her Digimon, then back up at the ceiling. Her Digivice remained untouched on the night table since the morning, and it was already early afternoon.

"Maybe we should go look for Tao…" Tigramon offered. Shastina winced at the name, but remained motionless. Time ticked away slowly, Tigramon slowly becoming agitated with the silent air.

"Shastina, I think we should-"

"Would you shut up!" Shastina screamed out. It was a good thing her father wasn't in the house, or he would have become very suspicious.

Tigramon was taken aback by the sudden outburst. She was also surprised when Shastina's white Digivice opened a Digital Portal, as if there wasn't any worse timing, sucking both into the Digi-World.

* * * * * *

Shastina fell onto the arctic landscape, thankfully on her feet, as did Tigramon, who landed on her partner's shoulder. Nevertheless, the Digimon quickly leaped off the shoulder, now afraid of her partner.

"Shastina…" Tigramon muttered.

"Just leave me alone!" she continued to scream, and began to trudge through the landscape, unaffected by the cold and leaving Tigramon standing into the snow, stunned. Even when she recovered, the Digimon didn't chase after her partner. She was too devastated to go after Shastina.

"Shas…" she whimpered, a tear forming in her eye.

* * * * * *

Shastina continued to trudge through the snow, eventually reaching a small lake, the water frozen over. She stood still at the edge of the lake, staring.

"They shouldn't be near me…" she thought. "Anyone who gets near me just ends up injured…or worse…" She sniffled, taking a step onto the ice. She slipped a bit, but remained on her feet. "Maybe if I'm lucky, the ice will crack and I'll fall and freeze…" she thought in a strange and scary optimistic mental tone. She knelt down and stared at the ice, wondering how unstable it was.

"I'm a jinx…it would be better if I left the group…" she thought, smiling a little. "Heh, maybe I'll even be able to see Tao…in the life beyond here…"

"Damnit Tao…maybe if you didn't know me…maybe…this wouldn't have happened…" she continued, lying down on the ice and forgetting about the cold temperatures.

"Tao…" she whispered, closing her eyes. She placed her hands over her face, trying to restrain her crying, but failed miserably. Tears slowly slid down her cheek and touched the icy surface.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" a voice asked. Shastina slowly slid the hands away from her face and stared to her right. "A lone Digi-Destined without a Digimon…how nice…" Shastina stared at the Digimon in her sight.

Standing on the ice was a Digimon, humanoid like. She wore a black cape over her snow white, full body armour. She held a large scythe in her hands. The female Digimon's black eyes narrowed, a small smile forming from her lips.

"And may I get the name of my killer before my death?" Shastina asked carelessly, staring back up at the sky, making no move to get up.

"Sendomon…" she replied suspiciously. "And you're not afraid of death?"

"Go on, do it," Shastina spoke, stretching her arms across the ice. Sendomon blinked, but didn't refuse, raising her scythe and rushing forward across the ice.

Shastina closed her eyes, waiting for the end. She had no regrets, she held nothing. Death was the only thing she could accept now.

"BEAM OF CONVERGENCE!"

The blast of fire and ice energy pushed Sendomon back, halting her advance completely. The initial few seconds of the attack startled her, but she swatted the remainder of the beam away with her scythe.

"Curse…" she muttered, seeing Vormon and Marc at the edge of the ice rink.

"Shas!!" Marc cried out, trying to stimulate some response from the female. The Digi-Destined glanced over at Marc, but remained on the ice.

"Come on, what's wrong with you?" Marc thought, looking back at Vormon. He shrugged.

"One thing at a time, let's handle death lady over there," the Digimon told his partner. Marc loaded his Crest of Hope, but then a thought struck him.

"You get any bigger, that ice won't be able to support you and your attacks will annihilate the ice, killing Shas," he whispered to the Digimon.

"Then I'll do it like this," Vormon spoke, stepping onto the ice carefully. Sendomon giggled at this, knowing full well her ability to fight on ice surpassed her adversary.

"You're mine!" she screamed out, blasting across the ice, scythe reeled back and ready to strike.

"BEAM OF CONVERGENCE!"

The fire and ice attack blasted right towards Sendomon, but she easily evaded the attack, breaking stride for only a second.

"Woah!" Vormon cried out as her scythe slashed across his chest. The dragon like Digimon fell backwards, cracking the ice partially, but not breaking it. He slid across the ice, slowly trying to get back to his feet.

"No way!" Sendomon shouted, sliding back on the ice, dark energy charging into her weapon.

"DOOM SMASH!"

The black gale of energy slashed Vormon's arms as he made a sloppy attempt to dodge on the slippery surface. The attack ripped a hole into his arm, exposing it to the icy wind. Vormon used his other arm to cover the wound, but was stopped when another Doom Smash hacked his other arm. He fell over once more, with not as much force, and exhausted.

"Vormon!" Marc cried, unable to do anything but watch his companion fall.

"Die," Sendomon muttered, diving down from the sky.

Vormon let out a cry of pain as the weapon dived right into his stomach. The Digimon went tense, the blade entering through one side and out the other, cracking the ice. Sendomon slowly withdrew the curved weapon, leaving Vormon lying there, who somehow didn't revert back to his Rookie form.

"Vormon…" Marc whispered, falling to his knees. If the Digimon wasn't dead yet, he wouldn't survive much longer with those kinds of wounds. Sendomon grinned, turning her attention back to Shastina.

"Now…back to you my dear…" she whispered, slowly walking on the ice back to the teenage Digi-Destined.

"Vormon…Marc…it's a curse…you shouldn't come…" Shastina thought, closing her eyes once more. Sendomon stood over her original target and raised her bloody scythe.

"NO!" Tigramon shouted, leaping at Sendomon. Shastina's Digivice suddenly burst to life, empowering her Digimon even if she wished not to.

"Tigramon…Digivolve to…Toramon!"

The massive tiger Digimon knocked over Sendomon, pinning her to the ice for a short moment.

"Fool!" Sendomon cried out, kicking the tiger off her since Toramon had no true grip on such an icy surface. Nevertheless, Toramon landed on her feet, albeit still sliding across the ice slightly.

"T-Toramon…?" Shastina thought, wondering why her Digimon would fight for her even after she screamed at her Digimon. "Why…?" Shastina asked herself, slowly getting to her feet. Tigramon leapt at Sendomon again, but provided to be near fatal.

Sendomon ducked down, the tiger soaring over her. With one swipe, she opened a wound against Tigramon's chest. The Digimon fell onto the ice and skidded right into Shastina, though Shastina was able to provide the breaks to the skidding.

"Toramon…speak to me…" Shastina whispered into the Digimon's ear.

"I'm okay…no problem Shas…" she answered, slowly getting to her feet, though wobbly.

"Why Toramon…?" Shastina asked. "After what I did…I wasn't expecting you to come back…" Toramon snorted, almost making her fall.

"We're friends forever…you aren't losing me that easily…" the Digimon answered, getting ready to pounce once more.

"F-friends…?" Shastina stammered, as if it was the first time she heard this.

"I've forgotten the meaning of that…" she thought, watching Toramon leap back into action, despite the large wound across her chest.

"Now…everyone might die because of this…" Sendomon kicked the weaken tiger away before scathing one of Toramon's forelegs with her scythe.

"It's all my fault…" Shastina thought, sinking to her knees once more. "If only I wasn't so…so…so…selfish…this might not have happened."

Toramon fell down onto her side, leaving a completely exposed angle for Sendomon to kill her with.

"Toramon, no!!" Shastina screamed out.

Marc's Digivice began to react with the scream as the teenager tended to the dwindling Vormon. A light blue aura surrounded the device as the Crest of Friendship formed in front of it. The Crest streaked towards Shastina's Digivice, pausing the combat for a brief moment.

The Crest of Friendship registered on Shastina's Digivice, automatically activating.

"Toramon…Digivolve to…"

The tiger Digimon slowly stood upright on her hind legs, blue energy surrounding her form. Her Ultimate form was clearly humanoid, though much else was hard to distinguish through the energy. Her face was revealed, her sapphire eyes and blue lipstick. Silver hair flowed down her back with some blue streaks over the silver. Energy collected at her body, creating her blue, crystal like armour when the aura around her shattered into millions of tiny fragments. A long, flowing blue cloak formed from top to bottom on the back of her armour. In her left hand, more energy gathered, shooting out from both sides of her closed fist. The energy formed a shaft, a spearhead on each end of the staff. The double-edged spear lay in her hand.

"Akukorimon!"

If anyone just witnessed this event, they would never have known Akukorimon was wounded in her prior form. Her eyes narrowed menacingly at her foe, ready to clash. The two female humanoid like Digimon stood tall, neither making a move as they now assessed each other's capabilities.

"DOOM SMASH!"

Sendomon made the first move, skating forward on the ice and slashing with her scythe, creating the gale of dark energy. Akukorimon strafed left, the attack narrowly missing her. The Digimon quickly got back to her feet and kicked off the ice, using the low friction to add momentum to her assault. The spear tip was near inches away from Sendomon's chest before she could use her scythe as a hook to knock the spear point into the air, along with her blade.

Akukorimon quickly about faced, almost driving the back of her spear into Sendomon if not for the Digimon's lightning reflexes to evade the attack.

"You're good…" Sendomon commented, gracefully landing on the ice. She rushed again, unleashing another Doom Smash attack. Akukorimon leaped into the air, extending her right arm towards her enemy.

"GLACIER STORM!"

A small storm enwrapped Sendomon, distracting her sense as sharp ice shards impaled against her.

Akukorimon took the opening to the fullest, diving back down and driving her spear right through Sendomon and smashing into the ice. She let out a cry, her body still up from the support the spear gave. Her cry was quickly silenced.

"G-good fight…" she whispered in Akukorimon's ear, smiling faintly. Akukorimon was surprised, but had no time to question the other as she faded into bits of data, one with the snow.

Akukorimon exhaled, lowering her spear, then looked over at Vormon, wound still opened, and somehow he was still a champion. Steadily, she walked over to the fallen Digimon, placing a hand on his chest.

"Heh…l-look af-f-fter M-Marc f-for m-me…" he grunted painfully, clasping the humanoid hand in his own dragon like hands.

"Don't say that…you'll survive…" Akukorimon spoke softly. Blue aura surrounded her body, causing a small storm of snow to surround Vormon. The Digimon disappeared for a second.

"Ice Blizzard Heal…" Akukorimon whispered, Vormon phasing back. His wound was closed, and he was breathing normally. Blinding energy surrounded the two as they reverted back to their Rookie forms. Both fell flat onto the ice, Xemon fainting from the experience and Tigramon blacking out from using too much energy.

Fin

****

Completed: 02/12/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	26. Episode 26-The Unseen

****

The Unseen

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_Everyday it hurts me to remember the deeds I have done in the Digital World. Yet, now it scares me even more…_

Scares me because…for all I know…I could become evil again…

I could end up like the first generation Digimon…

I shudder at the thought…

~Diary of Ken Ichijouji, third generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

The first swung his blade hard, nearly knocking the second off balance with the force of the attack. The second staggered back a bit, quickly regaining his senses however and parrying the next overhead slash the first attacked with.

With the recoil, the second pushed his partner's sword down, both blades locked between the two fighters.

"You're getting better…" the second muttered between his grunting. The first grinned, pushing the other away and unlocking the two blades. Both stood still, panting and exhausted, but determined to go on.

A soft clapping told both of them of a third visitor. Their eyes instantly fell on the intruder: Serangmon.

"Well, I see you're getting better with that blade…" he spoke, stepping closer. The other two instinctively raised their weapons, ready to fight.

"I came not to fight last time, so why should I this time?" he asked. The other two exchanged glances, before slowly lowering their weapons. "That's better."

"What do you want?" the first asked harshly.

"Just a message," Serangmon answered without malice. "Just to say…unless you start to intervene, one of the Digi-Destined will die." The two were clearly shocked at the news, but as far as Serangmon was telling them, everything he said before about Crest predictions and who would acquire them were right. The duel had no reason to disbelieve this either.

"Just a message," he repeated, bowing and taking off. Silence stood between the two friends.

"What do we do then?" the second asked.

"I don't know…" the first answered slowly.

* * * * * *

Shastina held Tigramon in her arms, patting her fur and watching the Digimon sleep peacefully. She still had yet to recover from her fight with Sendomon, causing Shastina to worry even more about her Digimon that stood up valiantly for her friend.

The Digi-Destined sat on her bed for the last hour, watching over Tigramon. Marc and her went separate ways after that last battle, giving best wishes to each other.

"Oow…" Tigramon groaned, slowly awakening from her slumber, and still feeling the after effects of her last skirmish.

"Tigramon…are you okay?" Shastina whispered, rocking the Digimon slightly in her arms. Tigramon blinked a few times, regaining her senses before looking up at Shastina and smiling.

"It's nice to see you back to normal…" she rasped, still weak. Shastina smiled back lightly.

"Don't talk so much…conserve your energy…" Shastina told her Digimon.

"She…she said…'good fight'," Tigramon spoke next. Shastina blinked, unsure what her Digimon spoke of.

"Who did?" the human asked.

"Sendomon…did…before she was deleted…" Tigramon whispered, lowering her head. Shastina was surprised at this information, doubt beginning to linger again in her mind. "Shas…are we doing the right thing?"

"I wish I knew…" was the only thing she could come up with in the short time. "I just wish I knew…"

* * * * * *

Xemon blinked a few times, slowly awakening from his long slumber that Akukorimon's ability sent him into after he was healed. His blurred vision slowly changed, revealing the sight of a very happy human in front of him.

"Xemon…how you feeling, buddy?" Marc asked. The young dragon coughed a little, thought Marc was glad he wasn't coughing up blood.

"I've felt better…" the Digimon muttered, lying back down on the bed.

"You had me worried…" Marc muttered, replacing the layer of blanket on his Digimon. Xemon coughed again.

"Yeah…anyone would be worried if a scythe was driven through their gut…" Xemon muttered harshly.

"Better through your gut then across your neck," Marc retorted. Xemon stared at the ceiling, gulping at that thought.

"I'd prefer it if none of that happened at all…" the dragon Digimon replied meekly. 

"We're just going to have to be more cautious next time," Marc told Xemon. The Digimon nodded in agreement as heartily as he could in his state. Marc smiled lightly, patting his Digimon on the head.

"Get some rest pal," he told him, standing up. Again, the Digimon nodded, closing his eyes and getting comfortable on his partner's bed. Marc left the room silently, closing the door behind him. He exhaled, then took his Digivice from his pocket, checking his e-mail.

What he read startled him greatly.

_One of you may die…_

Be careful…

Marc re-read those two lines over and over again, trying to make sense out of it. Particularly so to whom sent this e-mail to him in the first place, and then to wondering if any other Digi-Destined got it. He quickly compiled e-mails to each one, asking for their input.

Slowly, he closed his Digivice, still spooked by those seven words he read, recurring over and over in his mind. The Digi-Destined prayed that the message was a joke. They couldn't afford to lose another one, not until the first came back…

* * * * * *

Tiberius re-read the e-mail Marc sent him once again, trying to find some hidden meaning behind those two lines. Tiberius himself got the same e-mail, and quickly replied to Marc, answering in the least helpful way: I don't know…

"Any ideas yet?" Lepumon asked his partner, watching his friend contemplate a solution. It was already mid afternoon, and Tiberius knew even Shastina should be up by now. Marc did send that e-mail late the other night.

"None…" Tiberius spoke softly, raking his mind for an explanation aside from the obvious. "Maybe the others have a better idea then I…" he muttered, glancing out the window.

"You'll figure it out sooner or later…" Lepumon consolidated, patting his partner on the back. Tiberius sighed, not cheering up to his partner's confidence.

* * * * * *

K.H. closed his Digivice, the words of both e-mails firmly branded onto his mind. He wouldn't be able to shake the feeling of dread even if he was hit by amnesia.

"Something big is going down…" Kinoumon whispered, inputting his own thoughts.

"Real big…" K.H. added, agreeing with his Digimon. "We just need to figure out when, where, and how…"

"Soon…in the Digital World…with someone we know going to die…" Kinoumon remarked bitterly. "That doesn't help us at all…" K.H. didn't respond. He never thought being a Digi-Destined would've killed him or his friends, but for now, it seems to be a death wish to become a Digi-Destined.

"Why did it have to choose me…?" K.H. thought, dreading the thought of void.

* * * * * *

Shastina read the words again of the one e-mail. Those seven words remained clear in her mind.

_One of you may die…_

Be careful…

"There was a day in this year where I wish that would be me…" Shastina spoke softly, Tigramon on her lap. She sat cross-legged on her bed, the morning sun shining through her half-closed window. "Now…now…I'm going to have to stop it…somehow…"

"But you don't even know who it's from!" Tigramon protested. "For all we know, it could be someone's sick joke."

"Oh…it's real…" Shastina answered. "It's like that dream the other night…just…now, it may come true." Tigramon glanced up at her partner, frightened by those words.

"How can you be so sure?" Tigramon asked softly, still scared of those words.

"It's almost happened once before…it'll try to happen again…" Shastina answered, taking her Digivice from the night table. Tigramon was clearly spooked from those few words. Shastina's suspicions were even more supported by the fact that her Digivice began to open a Digital Portal.

"Well, I guess we'll find out, won't we?" Shastina asked rhetorically. Tigramon gulped, nodding in agreement.

* * * * * *

Tiberius wasn't particularly startled when his Digivice opened a portal right under his feet. For a strange reason, he sort of knew he was going to get picked for that day.

"Well, if today is the day…then one of us is going to die…" he muttered.

"Pardon?" Lepumon asked, unable to hear Tiberius' words clearly.

"It's nothing," Tiberius quickly responded, looking around. They stood somewhere in the middle of a large plain. The flatlands revealed nothing for as far as the eye could see.

"Would you like your content a plains or a desert?" Lepumon joked in a sarcastic manner, unsure which way to head.

Tiberius Digivice began to go off, revealing the location of another Digi-Destined in the nearby vicinity, heading speedily away.

"That way then," Tiberius spoke quickly, pointing towards the direction of the other signal. Lepumon nodded, leading the way and following Tiberius' directions as they went along to catch up with the escaping 'Destined.

* * * * * *

"Where is the signal coming from?!" Toramon panted between her breaths, trying to stay at top speed as much as she could.

"Keep going, they're still in front of us!" Shastina yelled back through the rushing winds. She sat on Toramon's back, trying to catch up with a signal speedily heading away from them.

"Shas…I can't keep this up much longer…" Toramon told her partner. Shastina nodded, checking the distance again.

"They must be flying…" Shastina spoke. "It's the only reason how they are able to make more room between us." Shastina lowered her head sadly, telling Toramon to stop. The tiger Digimon slowed down to walking pace, regaining her breath as Shastina stayed on.

"Do you think that was him?" Toramon asked, looking hopeful.

"I hope so…" Shastina muttered, looking back down at her Digivice. The signal was already out of range. "But why are they running?" Shastina thought, confused. She quickly got Tigramon to Digivolve when they found a signal of another Digivice nearby and decided to pursue, unsuccessfully too.

Shastina dismounted from her Digimon, patting her on the head.

"We tried," Shastina told her Digimon, smiling lightly. The tiger Digimon nodded in agreement.

"Hey, Shas!!" a voice shouted out from behind. Shastina looked back, seeing Tiberius waving at her from the distance, Lepumon at his side. Shastina smiled lightly, waving back before her features went from happiness to shock.

"LOOK OUT!!" she shouted, confusing Tiberius for a minute. He turned around, seeing Axeramon. Lepumon was quick to react, but not fast enough, get knocked out quickly with one swift blow from the side of Axeramon's weapon. Tiberius quickly took the Digimon in his arms and started back slowly, watching the Ultimate level Digimon advance slowly.

"Time to die…" Axeramon told Tiberius, raising the weapon.

"SHUURAI!"

Lightning blast lashed out at Axeramon, forcing him to stumble backwards, but he was clearly unharmed by the attack. Toramon leapt to Tiberius' side, Shastina aboard.

"Stay to fight or run?" Shastina quickly asked. Tiberius had no time to respond as Axeramon quickly recovered and slashed at Toramon. The tiger leaped back, Shastina holding on tightly.

"Fight it is then," Shastina remarked, disembarking. She quickly loaded the Crest of Friendship onto her Digivice. If it was weapon he was going to use, then let the weapons fly.

"Toramon…Digivolve to…Akukorimon!"

The humanoid Digimon faced off with the other, double-headed spear in hand versus the two-headed axe.

"Nice weapon," Axeramon commented.

"You too," Akukorimon replied dryly. Her foe grinned, before he rushed forward, strike with the axe. Akukorimon quickly blocked with the shaft of her weapon, Axeramon trying to force her down as the axe head collided with spear shaft.

Akukorimon didn't give him a chance, pushing the axe head right while slashing with the lower end of her spear against his face. Axeramon quickly reacted, forcing his axe weapon into the ground and leaped back, leaving him temporary disarmed.

"You're good to," he remarked, rushing forward.

"INFERNO CRIMSON!"

Spark of fire erupted from his hands, forcing Akukorimon to block the attack. While she was distracted, Axeramon collected his weapon quickly and swung it in a large arc. The other Digimon made a feeble attempt to block the attack, knocked over by the force of the blow.

Akukorimon fell flat onto the ground, quickly looked back up. Axeramon's weapon was mere inches away from her body when she rolled away to dodge the overhand slash. The female Digimon leapt to her feet as Axeramon dislodged his weapon from the ground once more, the two once again at a stand off.

"INFERNO CRIMSON!"

"GLACIER STORM!"

The attacks of fire and ice converged in the middle, the Ultimate attacks nullifying each other, the sparks evaporating the ice while the ice froze the flames.

"Well…that was useless…." Axeramon commented, taking the battle in an un-serious like way. He ran forward again, forcing Akukorimon into a defensive position. The two shafts collided, both Digimon trying to get the better of each other in a battle of brute force.

"You're pretty," Axeramon commented, shocking and surprising Akukorimon. Axeramon took advantage of the situation, tripping his foe and pushing her onto the ground.

Akukorimon cried out in pain as Axeramon stamped his foot against her stomach. Axeramon quickly swatted her weapon out of the Digimon's hand. Akukorimon's struggle resulted in a swift kick to her side, then another stamp on her stomach. She cried out in pain again.

"Akukorimon!" Shastina cried out, running forward. Tiberius tried to hold her back, but with one hand carrying Lepumon, he failed as it. Axeramon quickly turned to Shastina, then knocked her down with a backhand slap. She fell over with a small cry.

"Shas!" Akukorimon shouted, getting another quick kick in the side. She groaned, trying to push that foot of Axeramon off her. He raised his axe, ready to slice Shastina in two.

"No!" Tiberius screamed, placing himself in between the two quickly. Axeramon's weapon stopped a few inches away from his head, surprised.

"So you wish to die first?" he inquired, laughing. "Very well!" he exclaimed, ready to split Tiberius in two.

"GRAVITY BOMB!"

All eyes went up as a giant black eagle swooped down and knocked Axeramon away, releasing Akukorimon from his hold and saving Tiberius from certain death. Axeramon fell flat on his back, cursing for his carelessness. All eyes fell on the new comer, Tiberius pulling his Digivice out for an analysis.

_Evertymon: Eagle like Digimon. A bird that defies it's own rights with the ability to use gravity attacks. Attacks: Shock Blast, Gravity Bomb. An Ultimate Level Digimon._

The large black eagle floated back up into the air. He was a contradiction on his own. The eagle was fully covered with metal plating; small, wire tendrils across his wings. The Digimon didn't seem to have trouble staying afloat though.

"What the hell is that?!" Axeramon shouted.

"SHOCK BLAST!"

An energy ball shot out from Evertymon's beak and impacted right against Axeramon. The shockwave blast out, but stayed there. Axeramon could feel the additional gravity power pulling him towards the ground. The dome disappeared in a few seconds, without any more energy supporting the attack. Axeramon; however, was clearly troubled by this interruption.

"So, he did decide to intervene…" Axeramon thought, regarding the bird again. He nodded, then took off quickly. Evertymon didn't pursue, only turned back to face the other two Digi-Destined and their Digimon.

"Why did you help?" Shastina asked. Akukorimon, now Tigramon stood by her side, also wondering the same question.

"I owed someone a favour," he answered, looking towards the horizon.

"What?!" Tiberius exclaimed.

"Just leave while you still can," came the answer. The metal-armoured, black eagle flew off towards where he was staring at, leaving the Digi-Destined even more confused then before. Nevertheless, they took his advice, having enough close calls for one day.

* * * * * *

"So, they're okay?" the first asked Evertymon. The black eagle nodded his approval.

"I guess I owe you one then," he continued.

"We're partners," Evertymon answered. "We don't owe anything to each other."

"I still like to owe one," the first answered. Evertymon shrugged as much as his wings could.

"Let's just get out of here," Evertymon suggested. The first nodded, climbing onto the black eagle. Evertymon jetted off towards the distance.

Fin

****

Completed: 02/17/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	27. Episode 27-Gray York

****

Gray York

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_If anything, I trust Tao's judgement. Of course I don't believe his method is true, but I think he knows what he's doing._

Maybe he just needs some time out.

Either way, he'll be back, even if I have to drag him back for Shas.

Heh, I like that thought.

~Diary of Marc Durron, fourth generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

Serangmon listened to the news brought before him by Axeramon, returning from his latest encounter with the Digi-Destined.

"He did intervene, as predicted," Axeramon reported. Serangmon nodded his approval.

"So…everything is going according to plan…" Serangmon spoke softly, frowning.

"Do you believe they will pull through?" Axeramon inquired.

"They have so far," the angel replied. "They probably will too, for the sake of the Digital and Real World." There was a strange silence that followed the two after those words.

"Our ends will be coming soon then…" Axeramon remarked softly. Serangmon didn't answer.

* * * * * *

Evertymon soared through the sky, his passenger hanging on tightly.

"So when's the next time you want me to intervene?" the Digimon asked his rider, not looking back.

"Whenever needed," he replied, looking down towards the ground below.

"You should give me a better answer then that," Evertymon commented. His passenger shook his head, looking behind them.

"They'll find out sooner or later you know," the bird Digimon continued. Again, his passenger was silent. Evertymon didn't bother trying any more and decided to concentrate on getting to their destination.

"Do you think we'll ever go back?" the first asked his compatriot. The bird shook his head.

"Of course we will," he answered strongly. "We just need to find the right time to return." The first sighed, holding the weapon rightly in his right hand as he held onto Evertymon with his left.

"Or maybe they gave up hope already…" the first muttered. He shook the thought away, concentrating on what needs to be done at hand.

* * * * * *

"Well, at least the close encounter with death resolved…well…" K.H. commented, closing his Digivice. Kinoumon stayed on his shoulder, reading the e-mail as well, and now watching for the actions his partner.

"What'd do you think?" K.H. asked his Digimon.

"I think we got an interesting ally out there," Kinoumon answered. K.H. nodded his agreement, thinking the exact same thing.

"Could it be him?" Kinoumon asked. K.H. shrugged, making sure not to knock his Digimon partner off.

"I was planning on finding out today," the Human responded. "Up to the challenge?"

"You bet!" the Digimon exclaimed. K.H. smiled lightly, preparing to open a Digital Portal.

"I better tell mom I'm 'going out' before we try anything," he told his Digimon as the Digivice began to gather energy for their travel. Kinoumon nodded in agreement, leaping down and waiting for his partner to return.

It was a few minutes before K.H. returned. He sighed lightly.

"Geeze…my parents can be so nosy sometimes," he remarked, grinning. He picked up his Digimon.

"Ah well, let's just go!" Kinoumon spoke, anxious to begin searching.

"Yep…" K.H. agreed, his Digivice fully charged for travel. "A friend is out there, and we got to find him."

* * * * * *

Marc sighed, laid back on his bed and watching the ceiling for no reason. Xemon laid down beside him on the bed, also staring at the ceiling.

"So…what do you plan to do?" Xemon asked. Marc didn't answer initially, only continued to stare. "Hello? Earth to Marc?"

"A search party is nice…" Marc whispered, barely audible to his companion.

"Pardon?" Xemon questioned, unable to fully understand his partners response.

"Maybe we should search for him…?" Marc offered, still staring at the ceiling.

"Him?" Xemon asked once more. "Do you mean Tao?"

"Then again…trying to find him is like trying to find a needle in a haystack…" Marc continued, not listening to his companion.

"MARC!" Xemon shouted out, startling his partner.

"Wha?!" Marc exclaimed, slowly regaining his senses. "Oh…sorry Xemon…" The dragon Digimon smiled lightly.

"As you were saying about this search party…" Xemon inquired. Marc blinked once before remembering what he was talking about when he zoned out.

"Oh…I was just thinking about going out to search for Tao…" Marc told his Digimon. "But like I said…needle in a haystack." Marc sighed, spirit shattering.

"Well, we won't know until we try, right?" Xemon asked, smiling lightly. He took the Digivice from Marc's nightstand and offered it to his partner. Marc took the Digivice from his partner's hands, regarding it for a few moments, wondering if it was a wise action for what they were about to undertake.

"Why should we try?" Marc asked. "The chances of finding him is slim, let alone to believe he's still alive. It seems like a lost cause." There was clearly despair in his tone.

"Keep talking like that and the Crest of Hope will fade for you as it did for Tao…" Xemon muttered, making sure it was loud enough for Marc to hear. The Digi-Destined didn't seem fazed by the remark, but inside, something told him the same thing.

Marc instinctively loaded the Crest of Hope onto his Digivice. His half of the Crest shined brightly. Marc closed his eyes, imagining Tao's half, seeing how it was faded.

"Maybe it is shinning again…" he thought, opening his eyes again. He glanced back down at his Crest once more, remembering what it represented.

"So…?" Xemon asked, looking down at his partner. Once again, Marc closed his eyes, sighing. Slowly, he opened them again.

"We ain't getting any younger," he spoke, sitting up. "Let's get to it."

* * * * * *

The first sat down on the dirt, back against a tree. In his hand lay his weapon of choice. Not his weapon initially, but a weapon he will use to help defend his friends when the time was right. His companion sat beside him, the second of the two. Evertymon was no where to be seen.

"So…what are our plans now?" the second asked, sharpening his blade on a piece of flint for no particular reason. The first didn't answer, only continued to examine his blade.

"Yo, you listening?" the second asked. The first looked up at his comrade, nodded, but didn't provide any verbal answer.

"It's a weapon of Leadership…" the first thought as he examined the blade. "A weapon to strike down the foes…a 'sonic' weapon…" The first chuckled lightly, wondering how he got the idea of 'sonic' weapon in his mind.

"Something the matter?" the second asked, pausing his sharpening.

"No…just a crazy thought," the first answered, a light smile on his face. He wrapped the weapon in cloth once again, then tied the cloth down and strapped the weapon to his belt. He got up and stretched, yawning at the same time.

"Hungry?" he asked his partner. The other nodded, also getting up and sheathing his blade.

"What to eat today?" the second inquired.

"Well, we'll have to see what's around," the first answered, placing his hand in his pocket, tightening his hand around a small object that he was familiar with for a while. The second nodded, waiting for the response.

* * * * * *

Marc was perched on top of Millenimon, looking down at the terrain below. His Digimon was likewise doing the same thing, remaining at a moderate altitude while flying.

"See anything?" Marc asked.

"Nope…" Millenimon told his partner, his head swaying left and right.

"This _is_ like finding a needle in a haystack…" Marc muttered, looking back down once more.

"This sector is clear, let's go onto the next one," Marc told his Digimon. The dragon Digimon nodded, leaning left and gliding towards their next destination.

* * * * * *

Legionarimon walked forward, K.H. riding on his back. They had already covered three sectors of the Digital World, finding no traces of their fallen comrade what so ever.

"Maybe we should take a break…" Legionarimon offered. K.H. was silent for a bit, before answering.

"We made an unconscious promise we'd find Tao," K.H. spoke. "All of us. I intend to pull through on that promise."

"So, you're mister reliable now?" Legionarimon snickered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" K.H. growled.

"Nothing," the Digimon quickly answered, continuing on with the course. K.H. wasn't very happy with Legionarimon's last remark, but let it slide this time. K.H. now sighed, marking of this sector on his map of the Digital World.

"Come out, come out wherever you are…" K.H. sung softly, wishing Tao would just reveal himself. "More then one of us is counting on me and Legionarimon…" K.H. thought, guiding his Digimon towards the next sector. "We need to pull through…for them…"

* * * * * *

"This is getting us nowhere," Millenimon complained, touching down onto the ground. Marc slid down from his Digimon, finally deciding to take a break from their searches.

"Better to do something constructive then nothing at all," Marc retorted, though not very enthusiastic. He sighed, glancing around. Nothing interesting in sight what so ever.

"Marc…maybe he is gone…" Millenimon suggested, admitting defeat.

"NO!" Marc protested. In his heart, he knew Tao was alive; yet, in his mind, he also thought he was gone. "I…I re-refuse to believe he's g-gone!" Marc forced out. He wasn't sure what to believe anymore. His heart was grinding with pain.

"Marc…" Millenimon whispered, seeing the pain his partner was going through. "Come on, let's keep looking," the dragon Digimon offered. Marc nodded slowly, holding back tears and climbing back onto his Digimon.

* * * * * *

K.H. fell to the ground with a thud, and explosion rocking the ground where he and Legionarimon once stood. His Digimon lay beside him, on his side. Slowly, Legionarimon got to his feet, head turning left and right to find out the source of the blast.

"Ugh…" K.H. groaned, slowly getting to his feet. He wasn't expecting an attack on this trip. "Guess I should've expected it…" he thought, also looking left and right to find the source.

"See anything?" Legionarimon asked his partner, cautiously continuing forward.

"Nothing…" K.H. muttered, staying close to his Digimon. They never saw the angle of previous attack, so they had no clue in which general direction to look towards.

"FLARE SHOCK!"

Both heads of Human and Digimon looked up towards the sound of the voice. A split second later, a red orb of energy landed at their feet, exploding with crimson energy and knocking both down once more. K.H. cursed bitterly under his breath, spitting mud out of his mouth.

"We can't fight what we can't see," Legionarimon hissed. K.H. noticed that, but wasn't sure how else to fight this unseen foe.

"FLARE SHOCK!"

Another ball of fire energy blasted at the pair. Both quickly leaped out of the way, getting scraped by the resulting explosion.

"Where is he?!" K.H. yelled out, looking around yet again quickly. He couldn't see anything.

"SHOCK BLAST!"

A black ball of gravity energy flew out from above and at a spot near the Digimon/Human pair. Both stepped back as a dome of energy blasted outwards, revealing the image of a flaming apparatus within.

"That's Gorgalamon!" a voice shouted from above. Both looked up, seeing Evertymon fly past and away again.

"Wait!!" K.H. yelled out, ready to chase after the bird. "I can't let him get away…he might know where Tao is…and this might be the only chance at getting to him…"

"K.H.!" Legionarimon exclaimed. "We have to take care of him!"

"I have to follow him!" K.H. protested. "This might be the only chance we got to finding Tao!"

"FLARE SHOCK!"

Another ball of crimson energy flew towards them. Legionarimon tackled K.H. using his body as a shield against the explosion.

"No! They're counting on me!" K.H. exclaimed, trying to get Legionarimon off him. "We have to follow Evertymon!"

* * * * * *

Marc gasped in surprise, quickly taking his Digivice from his pocket. Gray energy began to gather in it, confusing him, before he remembered the colour of a certain Crest he held.

"What's going on?" Millenimon asked, looking back at his partner in flight. A gray streak of energy blasted from his Digivice and towards a distance far away.

"The Crest of Reliability chose a new one…" Marc whispered, pocketing the item once more.

* * * * * *

Legionarimon finally got off his partner, turning to face the enemy: Gorgalamon.

"At least give me the power to handle this one!" Legionarimon protested. K.H. nodded, preparing a Crest for Ultimate level Digivolve.

Marc's Gray streak of energy quickly slammed into K.H.'s Digivice, startling both.

"Well, that's your power then!" K.H. shouted, pointing the new found Crest at his companion. "Digivolve!!"

"Legionarimon…Digivolve to…"

Gray energy surrounded the insect like Digimon, encasing him in a small spherical shield that was much smaller then Legionarimon's Champion form. The sphere began to crack, before shatter into pieces, revealing a floating eyeball. More gray energy sparked from the eyeball, tendrils of gray energy. Slowly, they became matter, and slowly, the entire eyeball was surrounded with these tentacles, protecting the core.

"Tendrillimon!"

The Digimon gave a shriek of glory, as much as a floating eyeball could shriek. K.H. wasn't very prepared for this new form, but if it can take on Gorgalamon, it works for him.

Eyes fell on the attacking Digimon who was lumbering towards them. He was basically a walking fireball, feet torching the ground around. There was bitter anger on his 'face', possibly from the lose of his stealth ability.

"Burn…" he muttered, raising an 'arm'.

"Not in your lifetime…" Tendrillimon 'muttered', preparing his array of tentacles for battle.

"FLARE SHOCK!"

The all too familiar attack was easily evaded by Tendrillimon, taking to a higher altitude. Gorgalamon continued to fire blasts of fire energy at his adversary, missing the mark every single time. It was clear he was getting frustrated at his lack of causing damage.

"That's it…keep him busy…" K.H. thought, looking back. He could still see Evertymon up above, watching the battle. K.H. looked back to Tendrillimon. He raised a tentacle quickly, motioning for the Digi-Destined to pursue Evertymon. K.H. nodded in response, breaking into a sprint.

* * * * * *

Evertymon admired the battle from his view far up. He watched the Digimon of Reliability evade the many attacks thrown at him. Of course when he noticed K.H. heading in his direction, he sighed.

"And it was getting good to…" Evertymon muttered, turning around and flying off back to his partner.

* * * * * *

"FLARE SHOCK!"

Again another miss from Gorgalamon. Tendrillimon swooped low, a small liquid secreting from his tentacles.

"ACID WHEEL!"

Tendrillimon entered a fast spin, his tentacles blurring all visibility to his weak point. He rushed forward equally as fast, tackling Gorgalamon head on. Tentacles slapped against the Digimon, burning him with corrosive material. Gorgalamon screamed in pain, not expecting acid to be part of the attack.

Slowly, he dissolved into tiny bits of black data, Tendrillimon floating over his melting body. The eyeball didn't move, only watched the bits of data to disappear itself.

Fin

****

Completed: 02/26/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	28. Episode 28-Courage's Stand

****

Courage's Stand

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_There's a big difference between Courage and Recklessness. I've come to know that for a while…and sometimes I hate myself for the reckless actions I've done that endangered me and my friends._

I sure hope the holders of Courage don't do what I did.

~Diary of Taichi 'Tai' Kamiya, Second generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

Tiberius closed his Digivice, reading the new developments for their searches. Mostly the one part where Evertymon assisted K.H. in defeating Gorgalamon. Even if it was only one attack, it was a lone attack the revealed the seeming invisible Digimon from his state. K.H., however, wasn't able to follow Evertymon in the aftermath.

"It's a shame too…" Tiberius told his Digimon. Lepumon blinked, confused at what his partner was trying to get at. "If we followed Evertymon…well…no one knows whether he's friend or foe."

"He's been friendly so far," Lepumon told his partner. Tiberius nodded, but continued with his train of thought.

"Maybe it's just a false sense of security. Maybe it is a trap. Maybe we're all going to go down because of this trust…" Tiberius continued to say.

"Maybe you think too much," Lepumon spoke sharply. Tiberius quickly glanced at his partner. Both smiled, then burst into laughter for a little bit.

* * * * * *

Marc sighed, beginning to lose faith in ever finding his companion. Xemon was also beginning to share his doubt, but even so, the Digimon tried to remain cheerful for the sake of his partner.

"Don't give up yet!" Xemon protested. "You're holding the Crest of Hope, you can't give up yet!" Marc sighed softly, glancing over to his Digimon.

"I don't want to give up…" he spoke. "But if Tao doesn't want to be found, then we don't really have much choice but to give up until he _wants _to show himself." Again, Marc sighed, leaning back against his chair.

"I've failed the team…" he whispered. Xemon shook his head, unsure how to cheer up his partner after all this talking about 'not giving up'.

"Marc…" Xemon started, turning away. "You've told me to never give up, or some variation thereof of that phrase. Now, I tell you that, because you can't give up yet…we will find him, and when we do, we will get him to return!"

Marc looked up at his Digimon, and even if he was just looking at his back, he knew the determination surging through that Digimon.

The Digi-Destined's frown slowly changed into a small smile, knowing his partner was absolutely right, and he couldn't be dispirited yet.

"Xemon, I owe you one…" Marc told his partner. Xemon turned around, his mouth forming into a smile.

"No, we're even," he answered, cheerful for real, not forcefully cheerful.

* * * * * *

Shastina was in a strangely cheerful mood that morning. Tigramon watched her partner humming lightly as she walked around, organising her slightly trashed room. The Digimon sat on the bed, curious about Shastina's mood swing from a slightly depressed state to something much more cheerful.

"Something the matter Shas?" Tigramon asked in a concerned tone. Shastina faced her Digimon, smiling lightly.

"Nothing's wrong," she answered softly. "Why do you think that?" Tigramon glared at her companion, suspicious of something, but decided not to pursue yet.

"You just seem very happy, that's all," Tigramon inputted. Again, Shastina stopped and stared at her Digimon.

"And what's _that _supposed to mean?" Shastina spoke, sarcasm and anger clear in her tone. Tigramon was taken aback by her words.

"I-I-I just was stating a comment…" Tigramon stammered, still try to regain herself from that sudden outburst. Shastina's anger slowly turned to sadness, taking her Digimon from the bed and holding her tightly.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered, hugging Tigramon lightly. "I didn't mean to do that…" She sighed.

"I guess…just knowing he _is_ alive but not coming back frightens me…" she continued with unbroken hope. In her tone, at least, it was unbroken. In her heart however, it was beginning to crack.

"Shas…maybe you should lie down…" Tigramon suggested. "You don't look to well." Shastina was about to protest, but then noticed the look of concern in her Digimon's eyes. She smiled lightly, sitting down on the bed and petting the Digimon.

"I guess I should…" she whispered, sighing and leaning back.

* * * * * *

K.H. watched his Digimon chew hungrily on some food he brought up for lunch. It never ceased to amaze him how 'piggish' the Digimon could eat like, yet he sort of enjoyed watching the scene.

"You enjoying yourself?" K.H. asked. Kinoumon looked up from his eating, smiled brightly, nodded, and then continued to eat. K.H. smiled back, though unnoticed by his Digimon.

Kinoumon quickly finished the rest of his food, and looked up K.H. with a look of 'expecting more' features. K.H. smiled lightly, knowing his friend was just joking. This was enforced when the Digimon started giggling.

"So, what do we plan to do today?" his Digimon asked, hopping onto the table. K.H. didn't really plan anything, and now that his Digimon mentioned it, he wasn't sure.

"I dunno…maybe keep searching for Tao and Harriermon?" K.H. suggested, taking his Digivice from the table.

"I can work with that," Kinoumon responded, heading towards his partner. "In fact, I was hoping you'd suggest that." K.H. smiled once more, ready to open a portal with his Digivice.

"You really do believe we can find them?" K.H. inquired. Kinoumon nodded heartily. "I'm really beginning to wonder if he got more faith then me…" K.H. thought, smiling once more for a final time. He clicked a few buttons on his Digivice, revealing a portal of travel for them.

"Well, let's go," he told his Digimon. Kinoumon leaped into K.H.'s waiting arms. Before they knew it, the portal sucked them in.

* * * * * *

Axeramon entered the dwelling of his comrade and leader, his weapon held in hand. Serangmon sat down at a nearby desk, tinkering with something the other Digimon can and most likely will use in the future.

"It'll most likely be done by the time they all get their Crests," Serangmon told his general, not turning to face him. Sparks flew out for a short period before settling again.

"I still do not understand the purpose of that device…" Axeramon inquired. "It stops Digital Evolution, but I do not see how it will help them."

"Two hearts as one…" Serangmon spoke, continuing to work on the device.

"Two hears as one…?" Axeramon repeated, confused. He recalled something about the third generation Digi-Destined. "You intend for a DNA Digivolve?"

"No, something else," Serangmon spoke, continuing to work. "Please leave," he spoke softly. Axeramon nodded, bowing down and leaving. However, Serangmon left a confusing thought in his mind.

"I can't think about that now…" he told himself harshly. Axeramon raised his weapon, admiring the sharpness of it. "I got a job to do…and I have to be prepared for it…"

* * * * * *

Tiberius wasn't sure where to begin his search. He just had a strange notion to come to the Digital World to do some searching. Both he and his Digimon know who they were searching for, but only one held enough spirit to believe they would find them.

"So, how shall we begin this?" Lepumon asked anxiously, obviously impatient and wanting to start this quest. Tiberius wasn't sure how they would begin, but a random start would be better then no start at all.

"Uhh…" Tiberius hummed, pointing in one direction. "That way." Lepumon grinned, knowing full well Tiberius had no idea where to go, but he agreed that getting started is better then no start. Lepumon happily hopped in the direction, Tiberius trailing close behind.

"Come on Tao…if you're out there…let us find you…" Tiberius thought.

* * * * * *

The first sighed, wrapping his weapon in cloth and wiping some sweat off his eyebrow.

"They come searching again," the second told his partner.

"You need not tell me that," the first replied, sitting back down beside his partner. "They will continue to search until what they look for is found."

"And do you know when they will find what they are looking for?" the second asked, curious with what kind of answer that could pop up.

"They will find what they want to find when what they want to find wants them to find it," he answered quickly. The second didn't get most of the words, but understood the meaning clearly: the searchers prey will reveal themselves in time.

"I'll take that as a 'not so soon' response," the second answered, taking a flint and beginning to sharpen his blade once more.

"Probably," spoke the first, smiling lightly. "All in due time…"

* * * * * *

K.H. wasn't sure if he will even find Tao. He and Kinoumon already covered five sectors in the last one-and-a-half hours, but still no trace of the friend that was lost.

"It's sort of disheartening to know that the Digital World is an incredibly large place," K.H. spoke aloud. Kinoumon glanced up at his partner, agreeing with the words. "It's also disheartening to know that our friend doesn't want to be found…" he muttered next. Kinoumon again heard, but made no attempt to state his thoughts.

"Ever get the feeling he just doesn't want to be found until he wants to?" K.H. asked, not directed to anyone, but expecting an answer.

"Sometimes…" Kinoumon answered, stopping. K.H. also stopped, watching his Digimon companion. "Maybe he just doesn't want to be found, and with someone like Haeromon with him, he could easily leave areas we are searching." K.H. didn't want to hear those words, but he found merit in what his companion told him.

"But we can't give up, not without a fight," Kinoumon stated strongly. "If he doesn't want to be found, then let's make it hard for him to stay hidden. He can't keep running forever."

K.H. nodded unintentionally, agreeing with his Digimon. Knowing that they are searching reinforced their will and faith of their friend's return.

"Shall we continue?" Kinoumon asked his partner. K.H. nodded again, faith reinforced one more by his friend's words.

"A job we shall complete," K.H. told his Digimon. "Let's get going!"

* * * * * *

Axeramon sighed, walking slowly towards his destination. His mind raced with thoughts, mostly about his bleak future, as well as his comrades future if the Digi-Destined continued to prevail.

_"Do you ever regret what we decided?"_ Axeramon remembered, the voice of Drowsmon echoing through his head.

_"The Infinity has come, they must be prepared for it," _the Digimon also remembered, the figure who brought forth that news.

_"We will prepare them…" _Axeramon remembered Serangmon saying.

_"The cost will be great," _came the reply. Axeramon remembered the Angel Digimon looking back at his two comrades: Drowsmon, and himself. Both knew what was the cost with those words, and both accepted.

"The fate of the Digital World and Real World is more important then any of our lives…" Axeramon spoke softly.

_"I promise to reformat you all if they succeed," _the figure told them at that time.

"I…I will be reborn…" Axeramon thought, halting. "Maybe…maybe then…the Digital World will forgive our sins."

* * * * * *

Tiberius' Digivice began to blare loudly, much louder then ever before recorded by him.

"What's going…on?" he asked, Lepumon trying to get a better look. On his Digivice was the signal of one other.

"Tao?" Tiberius thought, glancing down at his Digimon. Lepumon nodded, beginning to race towards the signal's direction, Tiberius following close behind.

* * * * * *

"TORMENT AERO!"

Wind energy blasted from the ground, sending grass and dirt flying everywhere and cutting in between Legionarimon and K.H.

"Damn…" K.H. muttered, gritting his teeth and looking back at Axeramon. He held his Digivice in hand, and ready to take Legionarimon up a level to handle this foe.

"Ready whenever you are…" Legionarimon muttered. Axeramon stood still, weapon held out in front of him.

"Alright…then let's take it up a notch," K.H. spoke, raising his Digivice, the Crest of Courage visible.

"Legionarimon…Digivolve to…Epralmon!"

The serpentine like Digimon hissed, flailing his inferno like arms around.

"Round two…" Epralmon spoke.

"It won't be like last time…" Axeramon answered the challenge and raising his double sided axe like weapon. Epralmon got a feeling Axeramon was telling the truth, and the last time they met, he was holding something back.

"He has the ability…but he doesn't use it to destroy us…" Epralmon thought. He didn't have anymore time to think as Axeramon charged forward, raising weapon and about to slice his foe in two. Quickly, Epralmon caught the blade between his two flaming hands, the weapon inches away from his face.

"That won't stop me," Axeramon growled, swinging the other end of the weapon at Epralmon while he held the once chopping side of it.

"BURNING PINCER!"

Epralmon's tail lashed out, also grabbing that side of the blade with a flaming pincer from his tail, holing the weapon with vice like strength. Both Digimon grunted, trying to get the better of each other.

"Come on Epralmon…you can do it…" K.H. muttered, watching and praying his partner will pull through like last time.

Axeramon's grunt slowly transformed into a grin, quickly twisting his weapon in a 90 degree arc, knocking Epralmon from the sudden turn and onto the ground.

"Argh!" Epralmon cried out, his flaming arms flickering temporary. Axeramon took the time and raised his weapon, about to slice his opponent in twine.

"ROCKET FLARE!"

Golden energy rammed into Axeramon's chest, pushing him back and away from Epralmon so he could recover. The crimson armoured Digimon cursed softly, looking up and seeing Bukkomon and Tiberius quickly joining the scene.

"Geeze, I was wondering when one of you guys would show up," K.H. complained, Tiberius getting up beside him.

"Sorry, got a little side tracked," Tiberius answered, a bit disheartened if wasn't Tao they found.

"Ah well, let's clean up the trash," K.H. replied, waiting for another Ultimate to show up.

"If two Ultimate appear, I will have no chance at success…" Axeramon thought. "But I need a certain Ultimate to show…"

"You're mine!" he screamed. Raising his weapon.

"TORMENT AERO!"

The axe swung upwards, wind energy blasting across the ground and in between the two other Digimon, knocking both off their feet. Oddly, it arced towards a side and directly towards the other two Digi-Destined.

"Get down!" Tiberius yelled, knocking himself and K.H. out of the way. Both fell flat to the ground, but Tiberius quickly got back to his feet, ready to Digivolve his companion once more.

"Die!" Axeramon yelled out, dashing forward past the two stunned Digimon and raising his weapon to strike down Tiberius.

"Tibbs!" the two Digimon and the Digi-Destined shouted. Tiberius looked up but made no move to evade. He stared at Axeramon, the weapon stopping a hair's length away from his face.

"…" came from both Digimon and Digi-Destined, the two staring each other in the eyes.

"I don't fear you," Tiberius finally spoke. "I have nothing to fear…you have too much caring in your eyes."

"Wha?" Axeramon gasped, watching the boy. He slowly retracted his weapon, knowing this boy was more courageous then he previously. Axeramon had a weird grin on his face.

"You passed," he spoke softly. Tiberius raised an eye brow, confused, but was answered when K.H. got to his feet.

His Digivice began to gather energy, the Crest of Courage slowly leaving his Digivice. K.H. watched in awe as that Crest slowly entered his companions Digivice, revealing the other half of an incomplete item.

"I…passed?" Tiberius thought, taking a closer look at the Crest of Courage. He closed his eyes, unsure to unleash the power of the Crest or not. Axeramon spared him now, and with that, he is opened to a Crest.

"Why?" Tiberius asked the Digimon, opening his eyes.

"There is no 'why', only a fight," he answered coldly. Tiberius nodded, stepping back and preparing his Digimon for the next level.

"Bukkomon…Digivolve to…"

The Digimon fell onto all four legs, crying out. Bright energy surrounded his body as he grew larger. The energy shield around him shattered, revealing an orange-red like lightning colour over the yellow. The four-legged beast cried out again, a flaming tail sprouting from his read as well as a mohawk of fire. Metallic red anklets formed around each leg.

"Zenshoumon!"

The beast stamped his feet. The Digimon was clearly at least a head taller then his partner, and was definitely imposing. Even Axeramon had to take a step back upon seeing the new form.

"Impressive," he thought, exchanging glances between the two Digimon he would soon be facing off with. He raised his weapon, each side of his axe like weapon dedicated to one of them.

"Bring it," Axeramon muttered, running forward. He slashed towards Zenshoumon first, though the Digimon swiftly evaded the attack. Just as quickly, Axeramon direct another slash with the other side of the weapon towards Epralmon, though caught by the pincer of flames from the Digimon's tail. Axeramon tried to remove the weapon from Digimon, but the vice like grip proved to be too powerful.

"SCORCH SHOWER!"

Axeramon quickly glanced behind him, then up. Zenshoumon was high in the sky, flaming arrow like darts raining down against him. Axeramon was frozen in place, trying to dislodge the weapon that he didn't notice the other Digimon before. With the distraction came an opening for the other to attack.

Axeramon cried in pain, falling over as Epralmon released the weapon, levelling Axeramon with one of his Absolute Crossfire attacks. The armoured Digimon fell, rolled onto his back quickly, then rolled away some more to avoid getting crushed by Zenshoumon as the Digimon came back down, legs directed at Axeramon. Just as quickly still, he leaped to his feet.

"I must leave, my job is complete," Axeramon thought, firing another Torment Aero towards them. Both Digimon evaded, but during that time, Axeramon made his escape, much to the dismay of Digimon and Digi-Destined alike.

The two Digimon reverted back to their Rookie forms, tired, though not exhausted.

"Good job," Tiberius told his Digimon, lifting the rabbit Digimon to his arms. K.H. did like wise with his insect like Digimon.

"You both did a good job," K.H. spoke, glancing towards the direction Axeramon left.

"He'll be back," Kinoumon told K.H. when he finally realised where his partner was staring. K.H. nodded, though something unsaid stayed clear in his mind, but even that clear image was 'distorted' from view.

Fin

****

Completed: 03/09/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	29. Episode 29-Logic and Sonic

****

Logic and Sonic

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_The blade which is not mine is what I will use to strike down all those that stand in my path._

As I hold it against the sun and see my scarred reflection off the surface, I realise, I may be no different then the one who used this weapon before me.

We may have different methods, but our paths might have been the same.

I still doubt what we do and why we do it…

~Diary of the lost Destined

* * * * * *

"I dunno about you, but they will find who they're searching for sooner or later," the second spoke, admiring his blade partially.

"I expect them to," the first answered, his weapon across his lap. He held a small pouch in his right hand, raising and lifting his arm frequently as though he was weighing the contents of the pouch.

"So…sooner or later?" the second asked, emphasizing the latter half of his previous comment.

"Probably in the middle," the first answered, clipping the small pouch of goods back onto his belt.

"You never give a straight answer," the second answered softly.

"Nope," the first replied, grinning a little.

* * * * * *

Shastina Lawson sighed, leaning back on her chair and listening to a short WAV file on her computer.

The WAV was a lone clarinet playing a beautiful piece of music that Shastina always cherished when she got the file. A file she received a long time ago from her close friend that lived a distance away, and a file she now listened to, reminding herself about that lost friend.

"Tao…" Shastina spoke softly, remembering when he sent her that file. He warned her his playing was bad, but ever since she heard it, she would regard any pessimism from Tao as something else.

"Is that him playing?" Tigramon asked, slowly creeping out from under the blankets of the bed, still partially asleep.

"No, it's just a recording…" Shastina answered, sighing. She was tempted to turn off the player on her computer, but decided otherwise. The soothing music calmed her down, strange as it sounds.

"Oh, I'm sorry…" Tigramon apologized, knowing that she really shouldn't bring up topics like that. The Digimon lowered her head against the pillow.

"No, don't be sorry," Shastina told her Digimon, getting up from the chair and taking her Digimon in her arms. The music continued to play in the background as Tigramon curled up in her partner's arms. "It was a nice thought," Shastina whispered, running a hand through Tigramon's soft fur. The Digimon purred.

* * * * * *

The first sighed, raising his weapon once more, emerald glow ensnaring the weapon.

"Still haven't figured it out?" the second asked, stepping towards his companion. The first sighed, swing the blade in a cross cut arc, dissipating the green aura.

"Take a guess…" the first answered, slightly frustrated with his failure to make an effect.

"I'll take it as a no then," the second answered, placing his hand over his chin and stroking it. "Do you even think you can do that? I mean…it could be a Digimon only ability…"

"Hey, I've got an emerald glow, right?" the first responded. The second nodded in agreement. "All we need is to fire the blasted thing."

"Correction: all _you _need to do is fire the thing," the second spoke. "I already got my own weapons to use." The first nodded, accepting the correction.

"Guess I still haven't grown used to a weapon yet…" the first told his companion softly. He swung the sword a few more times with expert precision.

"Well, then you need to think again," the second replied. "You learned how to use that sword fast," he commented.

"I wish," the first grunted, swinging the blade once more before recreating the green aura around his weapon.

"You're always so pessimistic…" the second spoke, sighing and continuing to watch and advise this new series of tests.

* * * * * *

It was mid afternoon in New York when K.H. downloaded all the areas that he and Kinoumon searched in the recent days. He added the areas searched by both Tiberius and Marc. Shastina didn't begin to search yet, so K.H. had no data regarding search areas from her.

"We've covered a lot, but there is still plenty more to search…" the Digi-Destined commented. Kinoumon examined the map full of different coloured sectors, each colour representing an area each Digi-Destined searched by colour coordinating with their Digivice.

"But they could move back into explored areas after we search them," Kinoumon added. K.H. nodded.

"Yeah, I know…" he spoke softly, typing some more on his computer. Some of the squares began to fade a bit, leaving a lighter colour.

"The darker squares represent recently explored, while the lighter ones are vice versa," K.H. explained without being asked.

"And how does this help us?" Kinoumon asked, unsure what his partner was aiming towards.

"If we can figure out if Tao is moving back into explored areas or not, we can easily change our search patterns to search our previous tracks, starting with the earliest ones since he'll most likely be there," K.H. explained. "We could theoretically get the jump on his movements."

"And how do you propose we do that when we don't know if he's in unexplored areas or not?" Kinoumon asked. K.H. frowned.

"I'm working on it…" he spoke softly, turning back the computer. Kinoumon leaped onto his partner's shoulder, startling him.

"Maybe you should take a break," he suggested. "You've been at this for a while."

"They're counting on me," K.H. insisted. "I can't let them down."

"Alright…if you insist…" Kinoumon responded, trailing off. He leaped back down from his partner's shoulder to allow K.H. to work without distraction.

* * * * * *

Marc regarded his Digimon for a few minutes as the Dragon Digimon slept peacefully on his bed. Like in New York, it was only mid afternoon and there was plenty of time left in the day. It still confused Marc on how Xemon could sleep through such a nice day, though there was light snowfall outside. It was winter after all.

Xemon moaned softly, turning his head in Marc's general direction. The Digimon stretched out his arms, yawning. He blinked once, clearing the grog from his eyes and smiled when he saw Marc's face.

"How ya doing?" the Digimon asked, stretching his arms once more.

"Better now that I know you're up," Marc responded softly.

"Oh?" Xemon inquired, curious. "Why's that?"

"Feeling like going to the Digital World again?" Marc asked after a bit of thought and waiting for Xemon to get relaxed.

"To keep searching?" Xemon inquired. Marc nodded slowly, knowing his partner would ask that question.

"We won't be at full strength until we find him," Marc told his Digimon.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Xemon asked, smiling and sliding out of bed. Marc smiled back, Digivice already in his hand while he waited for his Digimon to awaken.

"Nothing at all," Marc answered his Digimon, activating a portal.

* * * * * *

Shastina glanced outside, early afternoon shining through the glass. Tigramon lay in her lap, curled up and listening to the calming music Tao played so far back. The WAV file must have been repeated at least 100 times since Tigramon awoke. The two remained silent for the entire time, listening.

"Do want to look for him?" Tigramon asked, looking up at her partner. Shastina was initially silent. She wanted to refuse the offer, but for some strange reason, she couldn't bring herself to see otherwise.

"Alright…let's go…" she spoke softly, turning off the WAV file and standing up, holding Tigramon in her arms.

"We don't have to do if you don't want to," Tigramon compromised. Shastina shook her head lightly, taking her White Digivice from the night table by her bed.

"No, it's alright," Shastina replied. "This is a team effort to find him. I can't just sit here and sulk all day for many days to come." Tigramon nodded, leaping down Shastina's arms and awaiting her partner.

"Then, whenever you are ready," Tigramon answered enthusiastically. Shastina grinned, opening a portal to the Digital World.

* * * * * *

The winding and turning of gears hummed softly within the interior. The view shift from left to right, the program suddenly activating. It had scanned a presence, and was currently trying to pin point it.

"Target acquired…" the display read in bold green letters. Two small target brackets appeared, one on the upper right hand side, another for the lower left. Numbers started to appear beside each bracket.

"Preparing to intercept," came the next display, the upper right targeting bracket beginning to flash.

"Mission: Intercept and Eliminate."

* * * * * *

Marc hummed softly, Xemon walking beside him as the two explored a hilly area. The Dragon Digimon was partially annoyed with the repetitive humming, but didn't make a point to tell his partner.

"Besides, it ain't _that _annoying," Xemon thought. He continued to walk along, keeping an eye out for any form of humanoid life.

A soft motor like engine sound stopped both of them. The two exchanged glances as the humming from the motor grew louder. Both turned their eyes towards the direction of the sound, coming from over one of the large hills.

"That can't be good, can it?" Xemon asked his partner without turning to face him.

"I don't think so…" Marc answered, waiting for whatever was coming over that hill.

* * * * * *

The first glanced up from his place, pausing in mid slice and holding the weapon high above his head.

"What's wrong?" the second inquired, taking a step forward.

"Something's going down…" the first muttered, lowering the weapon. He stared off into the distant horizon, mesmerized by some unknown event.

"Any idea what?" the second asked. The first shook his head quickly, wrapping the weapon in cloth.

"No, but I know we need to get there fast!" the first responded. "We need Evertymon, NOW!"

"You got it!" the second answered. A bright glow blinded the two temporarily as energy began to expand outwards.

* * * * * *

Shastina paused, her eyes narrowing as she glanced towards the horizon. Tigramon stopped as well, finally noticing Shastina not keeping up to pace with her.

"What's up?" the Digimon asked her compatriot. Shastina didn't respond, only continued to watch the distance.

"Digivolve…" she whispered. Tigramon was confused, but knew if her partner wanted it, something had to be going on. The White Digivice began to gather energy.

"Tigramon…Digivolve to…Toramon!"

The tiger Digimon knelt down, knowing full well Shastina would want to ride her.

"Where to?" Tigramon asked as Shastina boarded her Digimon.

"Northeast, and keep going northeast," Shastina directed. Her Digimon nodded, bolting towards that direction, Shastina hanging on.

* * * * * *

"CRYSTAL BURST!"

Crysdramon unleashed a torrent of ice shrapnel at the cybernetic fiend, but the attack did nothing more then bounce of a quickly erected force field.

"Damnit, we can't crack Cybarriermon's shield," Marc cursed, taking a step back, as did his Digimon.

The machine Digimon slowly approached them, hovering a few inches off the ground. The robot was a large, round like shape with a domed head. The arms were circular in shape as well. It was unclear what the holes at the tip of his fingers were for.

"ROCKET BARRAGE!"

Cybarriermon raised his right arm, pointing his fingers towards Crysdramon. Rocket salvos launched from the holes, surprising the Digimon.

"SONIC SHIELD!"

Crysdramon barely had time to raise the shield, the missiles impacting against the shield. The Digimon grunted at the strain against the shield, tossing the protective discus back at the machine Digimon. Once again, the attack was repelled by a quickly erected force field from the other Digimon.

"This is _not _working…" Marc muttered, trying to figure out a solution. Sure, Cybarriermon has yet to hurt Crysdramon, but Crysdramon has also yet to hurt Cybarriermon. It was a stalemate that the machine Digimon would win if he didn't run out of energy for that shield. Marc knew Crysdramon wouldn't be able to last long with that magnitude of power coming from his opponent.

"We could really go for some back up…" Crysdramon told his partner, setting up another Sonic Shield to absorb another blast of rockets.

"You think I don't know that?" Marc asked mentally, not wanting to speak his mind. He held his Red Digivice tightly in his hand, unable to think up an auxiliary plan for all this.

"LASER ARC!"

Crimson beams fired from two of the fingers, crashing into another Sonic Shield Crysdramon erected. The Dragon Digimon felt scorching heat against the shield, and knew that he wouldn't be able to maintain that kind of hold for much longer.

"SHUURAI!"

Blasts of lightning ricocheted off the back of the machine Digimon, flailing his arms about in a robotic attempt to regain its balance. Toramon leaped up beside Crysdramon, lowering her head to allow for Shastina to disembark.

"Took you long enough," Marc spoke, smiling lightly. Shastina smiled back, holding her White Digivice and ready to step it up the next level.

"Choose wisely," Marc told his companion, placing a hand on her arm to stop her. "This thing got some sort of shielding which can get up pretty fast." Shastina nodded.

"Then it's a simple matter of distracting him," Shastina answered, surprising herself with that kind of logic. "It wasn't able to block Toramon's Shuurai attack since it didn't see it coming. We just need to recreate that event."

"Sounds logical," Marc agreed releasing the hold on Shastina's arm. "I don't suppose you have anyway to distract his sensors?"

"Nope…" Shastina muttered, but preparing for another battle anyway.

* * * * * *

K.H. was startled when his Digivice suddenly began to blare out sounds for no apparent reason. Both Digimon and Digi-Destined turned their head towards the Digivice, wondering what was going on.

Brown energy rose from the screen, the Crest of Logic within the aura. K.H. wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew his Crest must be passing onto someone else, much like his Crest of Courage.

"I wonder to who though…" K.H. thought, quickly following the energy blast out through the window and into the distance.

* * * * * *

Shastina was taken aback when a brown beam of energy smashed into his Digivice. Her hand instinctively pulled back, though there was no push upon impact. She glanced into her Digivice, seeing the new Crest, then back at the battle, where Crysdramon was holding off Cybarriermon. Toramon was waiting for the Digivolve from her partner.

"Trying it out?" Marc asked. Shastina nodded quickly, directing her Digivice in Toramon's direction.

"Toramon…Digivolve to…"

Brown energy surrounded the Digimon's form, expanding upwards and thinning out. The energy slowly formed a figure of human like properties. Metal armour formed around her body, from legs up to neck. Two small slits opened up around her head, revealing dark brown, near black eyes. The remaining energy faded away, showing her long brown hair tied in a ponytail.

"Keikokumon!"

The Digimon stepped forward, joining the other Digimon against the robotic menace.

"Need help?" she asked Crysdramon. The Dragon nodded, quickly leaping out of the way of another Rocket Burst attack.

"JISHIN DESTROY!"

The ground began to shake violently. Cybarriermon was initially unaffected, thanks to his ability to float, rock spewed forth from the ground, directed right towards Cybarriermon. Again, it erected its shield to protect from the attack.

"We need to distract it!" Crysdramon explained, remembering Marc and Shastina's words.

"Not a problem," Keikokumon responded cooly. She raised a hand towards the sky.

"ROCK PANDEMONIUM!"

Boulders of ungodly proportions fell against the mechanical Digimon. It lifted it's arms and brought forth a shield to protect against it; however, what it didn't know or recognize was that the rocks were only images, as the attack was only meant to confuse the foe.

"All at once now!" Keikokumon shouted, readying for another attack.

"CRYSTAL BURST!" "JISHIN DESTROY!"

Both attacks slammed into the chest of the mechanical Digimon, knocking it down. The arms flailed once more, but not before Crysdramon tossed another Crystal Burst attack in Cybarriermon's direction. The lights on the dome slowly faded.

"So, it's over now?" Shastina asked, feeling like it wasn't. There was a half-minute of silence before the two Ultimate level Digimon reverted back to their Rookies.

"I guess so…" Marc spoke softly. Xemon walked by his side while Tigramon leaped into Shastina's arms.

"Job well done then," Shastina commented, smiling. Tigramon smiled back.

The faint humming of mechanical gears shocked the four, eyes quickly turning towards the fallen Digimon. Cybarriermon slowly rose its arm at Shastina, releasing a lone rocket at her.

A blast of green energy glided through the sky and impacted against the rocket, detonating it a safe distance away. Another beam of emerald energy skimmed across the ground and amputated the robot's firing arm. A third followed, smashing right into its back. The Digimon fell into a clump, dissolving into data.

"Wha-what was that?" Tigramon stammered, scarred out of her wits with immanent doom.

"A-a-a Sonic Sword?" Marc replied, shivering from the fact that only Drowsmon could use that attack.

"But…he's dead…." Shastina replied softly, looking towards the direction of the attack. Up on the hill, she could see something, but she wasn't sure what.

A loud cry echoed through the sky, attracting the attention of all four. Evertymon took off from his position behind the hill, flying away from the battle site.

* * * * * *

"So, you did manage to pull it off after all," Evertymon told his passenger. The first nodded, his knuckles white as he held the blade tightly in his hand. A faint green aura still surrounded the weapon.

"I think I know how to do it now…" he answered, slowly releasing his grip.

"Good, because we'll probably need it for some upcoming events," replied Evertymon, speeding up once he knew his passenger was secure.

Fin

****

Completed: 03/07/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	30. Episode 30-From Knowledge Comes Light

****

From Knowledge Comes Light

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_Giving up hope is liking getting shot in the heart. To give up is to get killed. Even if you aren't killed, giving up has an equivalent effect of dying. You feel nothing anymore, nor do you wish to feel anything._

To give up is to stop fighting, and there are those who won't accept mercy.

If you do give up, then pray your friends can tell you through.

~Diary of Takeru 'T.K.' Takashi, second and third generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

"I just wish we knew what Evertymon's motives are," Tiberius wrote back to Marc over an ICQ message.

"Yeah, I know," Marc typed back, Xemon sitting on the computer table, legs over the side of the desk while watching the screen.

"Any ideas?" Tiberius asked in his ICQ response.

"Hey, you're the one with the Crest of Knowledge, you should have more of a clue then me," Marc quickly typed, getting a short chuckle from his Digimon companion.

"Yeah, well, it could be passed of to you," Tiberius retorted. "It's the only Crest that hasn't been passed yet, and someone is bound to get it."

"If anything, it'll probably end up as K.H.'s Crest when the other half decides to reveal itself," Marc countered. Xemon shook his head, smilingly lightly.

"Have faith," the Digimon spoke, jumping down from the table and landing with a soft 'thud'.

"We'll see, we'll see…" Tiberius typed in his message. Another message arrived right after the previous one.

"I plan to go searching now," Tiberius wrote. "Care to join me?"

"I was planning to as well," Marc typed in, a bit surprised at the coincidence. "But first I was hoping to get Sora and Biyomon to come as well. At this point, we could use all the help we can get to cover every area of the Digital World."

"Agreed," was the response. "Anyway, I'm off. If you see anyone else on before you depart, tell them to get on as well."

"I will," Marc typed quickly to catch Tiberius before he left. "Cya!"

"So, we leaving yet?" Xemon asked, looking up at the computer screen. Marc sighed, turning off ICQ, then his computer. He scooped up his Digivice from the table and turned around on his chair, looking down at his Digimon.

"We'll have to get Sora first, but yeah, we're going ASAP," he told the Digimon. Xemon nodded, anxious to begin another search. Marc noted the Digimon's enthusiasm, and decided it best to leave now, taking all the items he would need from his table and leading his Digimon out, of course making sure his parent's didn't know about Xemon.

* * * * * *

"What do you want?" the first asked, standing in a fighting position. Axeramon regarded the boy who stood in front of him, weapon ready.

"He's grown a lot," Axeramon thought, hanging by his side. "Consider this a prediction of the future."

"What?!" came the growl from the boy, keeping weapon up.

"In a few days, the remaining Digimon of the remaining Digi-Destined will not have the ability to Digivolve," Axeramon told the boy. The first didn't seem fazed by the remark, but inside, he knew that it would mean certain doom.

"And you intend to kill them on that day?" the first asked, slowly lowering his weapon. He wanted to hear this out.

"I think you know the answer to that question…" Axeramon answered, smirking. The first now lowered his weapon all the way.

"One day, I would've asked 'why?'," the first replied softly. "But now…after seeing all that you have done, I can only pray the Digital World will forgive your sins once you all are deleted." Axeramon remained silent, turning around and leaving the boy alone.

"I hope they will forgive our sins as well," Axeramon thought, lowering his head as he continued to walk away.

* * * * * *

"What was that about?" asked the second, approached his companion and standing by his side.

"We will have a predicament, and only I will be able to stop it…" was the answer. The young boy slowly raised his weapon once more, admiring the blade with sick remorse. A blade that caused so much grief will be his key to success.

The weapon shimmered with emerald energy, dissipating at the will of the user.

"I have to be prepared for it," the first concluded, turning to face the other. "We need to practice…a lot…" The second nodded, seeing the grave situation. Weapons were raised once more as another training session was about to embark.

"Isn't sort of strange how we trust the word of the one that we are out to destroy?" the second asked, awaiting the assault from his companion. The first didn't reply, because deep down, he knew that the three were doing this for the better of the Digital World, for all it was worth to him. The fact that the two reminding Digimon were helping him and his compatriot was a sign of something that ran deeper. Something was threatening the Digital World, yes, the first did believe that, but he also believed that it wasn't Serangmon and his company that were threatening it.

"It has to something else…" he thought, distracted slightly and leaving himself open to get his ribs slapped by the side of his companions blade. He cursed for his sloppiness, and retaliated, fighting at double the effort.

* * * * * *

Marc knocked lightly on the door, but Ioji just as quickly opened the door.

"Yeah, Sora said to expect ya," he told the human. Xemon remained hidden inside Marc's backpack, trying to remain as still as possible. He quickly turned around and shouted out for Sora. There was a muffled reply.

"She's coming," Ioji told Marc, turning back around to face him. "Man, you two are getting close. Something in the air?"

"Er…?" Marc muttered, unsure how else to respond.

"Come on, there _has _to be something between you two," he exaggerated. "You two have been seeing each other quite a bit now." Marc blushed partially, embarrassed.

"I-it's nothing of that sort…" he stammered. Sora quickly, yet softly, shoved her cousin out of the way. Biyomon remained stiff as a doll in Sora's arms.

"And just what were you two talking about?" she asked harshly. Ioji shrugged, waving good bye and closing the door. Sora's eyes fell on Marc.

"I'm really not so sure myself…" Marc answered, taking his Digivice. "Anyway, we should be concentrating on searching." Sora nodded, as did Biyomon when she knew she didn't have to pretend anymore. Marc led the group to somewhere more private and released Xemon from the bag.

"We need to work on better methods of sneaking around," Xemon gasped, inhaling cold winter air. Marc shrugged, about to open another Digital Portal.

"Wait," Sora quickly spoke, grabbing the arm that Marc had the Digivice in. Marc was surprised by Sora's sudden movement. He lowered his Digivice slowly, confused. "Do you have a plan of search?"

"Err…I was hoping Tibbs would have one once we find him in the Digital World," Marc answered. Sora shook her head, a bit disappointed.

"Use your head," she told Marc. "Doing random searching isn't going to get anything done in there. You need a plan, and you can't rely on someone else all the time. We might not be able to find Tiberius, and then our trip would have been in vain."

"Geeze," Marc protested, pulling his arm away from Sora's grip. He rubbed the arm slowly, impression made from Sora's force. "I'm not the type to plan ahead. Take things on instinct. Let the planning go to those with the Crest of Logic or Knowledge, but definitely not me." Sora regarded Marc for a few minutes, looking from head to toe of the boy. She bowed her head, apologizing for hurting Marc.

"But without a plan, we won't be able to do much," Sora spoke.

"I have faith," Marc responded lightly, turning his back towards Sora and preparing once again to open the Digital Portal.

"No, you have Hope…" Sora thought, lowering her head once more. Biyomon tugged lightly on Sora's pants, attracting her attention. The pink bird smiled lightly, getting a smile back from Sora.

"Let's go, Sora" Biyomon told her partner. Sora nodded, approaching Marc as he waited for Sora's acknowledgement.

"Ready when you are," she told Marc. Marc glanced down at Xemon by his feet. He nodded as well. The party was ready for travel.

* * * * * *

"How goes it?" Shastina asked, surprised to find Tiberius searching, but glad as well. The more people searching in one day, the better their chances are at finding their target. Toramon stood by Shastina's side, taking a short break after a long race towards Tiberius when they caught his signal.

"Not to well," Tiberius responded softly, Lepumon lying down, tired from searching. "But if and when Marc and Sora get here, we should be able to cover more sectors. If Tao is hiding from us, he can't hide from _all _of us at the same time. One of us is bound to find him." Shastina nodded in agreement.

"Then we should find Marc and Sora first, work out something from there," Shastina suggested. As if on cue, both Digivices the two carried went off, detecting another two signals close by.

"I guess that's them," Tiberius commented, looking towards the direction the signal is coming from. "Can Toramon take us all?" Shastina looked over to her Digimon. The Digimon lowered her head.

"Get on," she spoke, awaiting her passengers. Shastina looked back at Tiberius. He didn't need an answer, he got onto Toramon, Lepumon leaping onto his lap. Shastina followed.

"Hold on," Shastina warned Tiberius. Before Tiberius could sufficiently 'fasten' himself to the Digimon, Toramon bolted, startling Tiberius and Lepumon, but both quickly regained their balance. "I warned," came Shastina's joking voice. She looked back and grinned.

* * * * * *

"So, what's the plan?" Marc asked Tiberius once the four met. Each human sat in a circle, their Digimon sitting on their lap.

"Line up of four, sector by sector search, four lines at a time?" Tiberius suggested, unsure how else to do it. "It's systematic."

"But our Digimon move at different speeds," Sora spoke. "I really don't think any of your Digimon can keep up to pace with Birdramon."

"Why not a circle pattern then?" Shastina suggested. "The slow groups take the interior while the faster groups search the circumference of the designated circle."

"Would work, except for the fact it'd take us forever to remake a circle in another region once we're done that one," Tiberius countered, thinking of another solution.

"Well, it's quite clear we aren't getting anywhere with this," Marc commented, lying down against the grass.

"Well, if you're so good, what would you suggest?" Sora asked. All eyes fell onto Marc, though he didn't notice.

"If we're searching for Tao, we might not need a plan," Marc reasoned. "A plan takes to long to initiate, and if Tao wants to remain hidden from us, we don't have the luxury of time."

"We should just spread out and search everywhere in some unorganized fashion," he continued, sitting back up. "Keep Tao guessing, and when one of us does find him, quickly alert the others to converge on his position." The other three exchanged glances. The plan might not be at all sophisticated, but Marc put up some valid points.

"Alright, I guess it's agreed then," Tiberius spoke, standing up. Lepumon leaped off his lap, ready to go. "Be quick about it if you find him, alright?" The other nodded in agreement. Shastina quickly broke from the circle. She lifted the Digivice towards Tigramon, Digivolving her into Toramon. Before anyone could ask where she was headed, the two jetted off.

"Keep in touch," Tiberius told the other two, heading in an direction opposite of that from Shastina.

"And I thought you said to leave the planning to those with the Crest of Knowledge and Logic," Sora joked, taking her Digivice. "See you later Marc." She began to walk off, Digivolving Biyomon.

Birdramon cawed, allowing Sora to clamber onto her talon before taking off.

"Well, that doesn't leave us with much of a choice, now does it?" Marc asked rhetorically. Xemon nodded, following Marc in the direction no one ventured as of yet.

* * * * * *

Serangmon handed Axeramon a small device, a black bracelet of sorts that fit snugly around Axeramon's left arm.

"Do you think they will pass the ordeal when you confront them with that?" Serangmon asked, referring to the new device. Axeramon glanced down at the black bracelet, a bracelet that would be better suited for Drowsmon, but nevertheless, it'll do.

"I think they will," Axeramon answered. "They haven't disappointed yet. I don't think they intend to disappoint now, especially with the one that _can _fight."

"So, they will survive your next encounter…" Serangmon mused, almost a bit sadly.

"Yes," Axeramon answered, trying to remain calm.

"I guess…then…this is where we say farewell…" Serangmon told Axeramon. The other Digimon nodded, provoking the Angel Digimon to raise his right arm. Axeramon gripped the Angel Digimon's right arm with his own, the two in a strong handshake.

"It was good to fight by your side all these years," Serangmon told his companion.

"As it was for you," was the response. Both Digimon bowed their head, before Axeramon departed to find his prey.

"Our loyalty will be our destruction," Serangmon thought. "How ironic, in order the save the world we live in, we must die for it." He chuckled lightly, turning around and back to his chambers. The Angel Digimon had much work to do.

* * * * * *

"Bukkomon…Digivolve to…Kagepumon!"

The black armoured rabbit stepped forward, unsure how to attack the massive blob of a Digimon that they confronted during their search.

"Call for back up?" Kagepumon suggested, standing between the blob and his friend.

"Already did," Tiberius answered, analysing the blob or mud and dirt, somehow able to retain a form despite the fact it was pure mud.

_Dumarmon: Toxic Digimon. The unusual genetic structure allows this Digimon to retain a solid form with liquid parts. Stores toxic fumes within the body. Attacks: Mass Driver, Terror Spore. An Ultimate level Digimon._

"Well, that's just _great _to know," Tiberius spoke sarcastically.

"What is?" Kagepumon asked.

"It's a Digimon that can poison!" Tiberius protested. "Be careful!"

"Like you needed to tell _me _that!" Kagepumon shouted back, cautious now. It wouldn't do him good if got poisoned, thus hindering his fighting skills.

"MASS DRIVER!"

Four blasts of supposedly solid balls blasted from the blob and directly towards Kagepumon.

"Woah!" he shouted, leaping high into the air to avoid the attack.

"TECTONIC THUNDER!"

Kagepumon landed back onto the ground with a thud, starting an earthquake. Dumarmon held his ground, seemingly unfazed until the ground opened up beside, spewing out golden energy at the Digimon. It 'cried' out, but stayed 'standing'.

"Well, that didn't work," Kagepumon thought.

"JISHIN DESTROY!"

Once again, the ground quaked, spewing forth rocks and earth that smashed against the blob known as Dumarmon. Again, it cried out in pain, but just refused to go down without a major fight.

"That's one tough nut you decided to run into," Shastina commented, finding a way to get beside Tiberius.

"It wasn't my idea, it wanted to pick a fight," Tiberius protested, trying to defend himself.

"Fight now, talk later," Shastina quickly spoke, silencing her friend. Keikokumon stayed on one side while Kagepumon on another, the blob Digimon in between the two.

"JISHIN DESTROY!" "TECTONIC THUNDER!"

The ground rumbled, as if the land was being uprooted from what kept it down. Golden energy and rock shards blasted everywhere, all directed towards Dumarmon, but the blob absorbed the damage as though it was nothing.

"I don't know _what _the hell that is, but it doesn't seem to be hurt by their attacks," Tiberius cried out. Shastina remained silent, watching their Digimon evade Mass Driver attacks. Sure, the attacks were easy to avoid, but if their Digimon can't hurt that blob, then the Digimon will eventually get exhausted, and then it will all be over.

"We need an alternative," Shastina told Tiberius.

"Well, we better get one and fast!" Tiberius responded.

"BEAM OF CONVERGENCE!"

The blast of fire and ice slammed into the blob, momentarily stunning it. The fire half of the attack did nothing to hurt the blob, but the ice part froze some of the blob's body.

"Well, that worked out, sort of," Marc commented, joining his other friends. Vormon did the same, making a triangle, each Digimon being one of the vertexes, their target in the middle.

"Even so, it'll take forever to freeze that Digimon over," Tiberius spoke. "We need more ice power if we want to continue with this."

"Well, more ice, coming right up!" Marc exclaimed, loading his Crest of Friendship onto his Digivice.

"Vormon…let's step it up one!" Marc shouted out. He was about to point the Digivice in the Digimon's direction until Tiberius' Digivice began to react. Eyes from the humans fell onto the item, the Crest of Knowledge becoming whole for a brief second. The supposedly faded side was again faded, though a blast of purple energy surged from the Digivice and into Marc's Digivice, completing a Crest transfer. The faded half of the Crest of Knowledge was now in the hands of Marc.

"Alright, we'll step it up this way them," Marc thought, pointing the Digivice in Vormon's direction.

"Vormon…Digivolve to…"

The dragon Digimon let out a roar, body surging with energy. The Dragon slowly grew some more, the skin colour changing into a yellow tone. Lightning energy blasted out of his back, suddenly contained by two organic like shafts. They bent forward, beginning to resemble wings made completely of electricity. The new Digimon's claws glistened, revealing the sharpness.

"Tokkanmon!"

The awe of a lightning dragon struck all, and with that moment of pause, Tokkanmon decided to strike.

"THUNDER PUNCH!"

The Dragon Digimon flew forward with amazing speed, electricity charging into his claw. With one strong swipe, electricity went from point A to point B, conducing through the water like body of the blob. There was an agonising 'cry' of pain from the blob.

"BLAZE OF LIGHTING!"

Tokkanmon leaped back, his body suddenly morphing into that of complete lightning. The ball of lightning darted forward, crashing through the blob and reforming back into Tokkanmon on the other side. Dumarmon 'fell' onto the ground, flattening out. Slowly, Kagepumon and Keikokumon approached the blob, wondering if it was dead or not.

"TERROR SPORE!"

Dumarmon suddenly exploded into a spray of toxic waste, blasting over all three Digimon. The toxic waste soon turned into data, as did Dumarmon itself, but no before infecting the three Digimon with his poison. Each quickly changed back to their Rookie form.

"Tigramon!" Shastina shouted with concern, rushing forward to check her partner.

"No, stop!" came the voice, halting Shastina in her tracks. Eyes went up towards the source of the voice: a humanoid Digimon with eagle like wings that had angel feathers. A red band was tied on his left arm.

"You'll get infected to if you touch them," he spoke, slowly floating down onto the ground.

"Who…are you?" Marc asked. Tiberius scanned the Digimon.

_Celeaglemon: Angel/Eagle Digimon. A rare breed of Digimon where an eagle with holy powers will come to strike divine retribution. Attacks: Celestial Charge, Angel Eagle. An Ultimate level Digimon._

"Well, I guess Tiberius would know already…" Celeaglemon spoke, stepping into the middle of the three fallen Digimon. He looked up, seeing Sora and Birdramon coming quickly. The Ultimate level Digimon was winced at the sight, and decided to make this process quick.

"Heal Aura…" Celeaglemon spoke softly, his body emitting a holy aura. The aura expanded outwards, touching each Digimon and curing them off all ailments. Slowly, the light subsided, revealing the form of a very familiar Digimon.

"Harriermon!?" all three Digi-Destined cried out as the Digimon began to recover their senses. Harriermon shook his head, taking off towards the distance quickly.

"Harrier!!" Birdramon exclaimed, surprised and gave chase towards the smaller Digimon.

A Sonic Sword attack blasted out from nowhere, directed towards Birdramon. She was forced to dodge or be knocked out of the sky.

"What?!" Sora exclaimed, almost getting thrown off when Birdramon had to dodge another Sonic Sword. It was then that the flying Digimon knew that if she pursued, she would get knocked out of the sky for good.

"Harrier…" she whispered, unable to let him go, but had no choice.

Fin

****

Completed: 03/09/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	31. Episode 31-Enter the Hybrid

****

Enter the Hybrid

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_Everyday it bothers me how our Digimon could've turned so…evil._

Evil might not be the right word, but it looks like they have jumped sides.

Botanimon seems to keep something back, but Yuriko can't get any information from her.

I guess we just have to hope the fourth generation of Digi-Destined can defeat…our friends…

~Diary of Tsurugi 'Damon' Hiroki, first generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

Biyomon was crying on Xemon's shoulder once more, releasing her sadness with the last trip to the Digital World.

"Why?!" she sobbed, unable to hold back anymore. Her heart was broken, being so close yet so far. He was right there, and she couldn't reach him. No, correction, he didn't want anyone to reach him. The two sat on Marc's bed, legs dangling over the edge. Neither of their partners was in the room. Xemon remained silent, pulling the pink bird a bit closer as she continued to cry.

"I ask myself the same thing…" Xemon thought, repeating Biyomon's question in his head over and over. "Come on Harrier…where are you?"

* * * * * *

Marc sighed, leaning back against the couch and staring up at the ceiling. Sora sat beside him, the two silent inside the family room of the residence.

"We know that he really is out there…" Marc spoke finally. Sora nodded slowly, looking up at the room above them. She knew Xemon was trying to calm Biyomon down, but it didn't seem like it was working.

"_They_ are out there," Sora corrected, hanging her head. Marc didn't bother to acknowledge.

"And they are hiding…for what reason?" Marc asked, though not expecting an answer for his troubles. The question perplexed the two, as did it for their Digimon.

* * * * * *

Shastina sat on her bed, legs pulled up to her chest and watching the outside world through a window. Tigramon was curled up on her lap, still a bit sickly from the previous experience, but infection free.

Neither Human nor Digimon made an attempt to spark conversation. The air was thick with questions, questions that only the person who started them can answer. That person didn't want to be found. The predicament continues.

* * * * * *

"He doesn't want to come back then I take it," K.H. asked through an ICQ message.

"I'm not sure, but the way this is playing, it looks like it," Tiberius typed back.

"All this searching was in vain then?" K.H. asked, though there was an untold message that Tiberius shouldn't answer. "What would our plans be now then?" came the next message from K.H.

"Keep searching I guess…" Tiberius replied, a 'tone' of uncertainty in his 'voice'. "Or we can concentrate on stopping Serangmon once more."

"But we can't do that without a full team," was K.H. protesting response.

"It looks like we have little choice in the matter," Tiberius answered. "Until Tao _wants _to come back, we can't do much to change his mind."

"Man…this sucks…" was all K.H. replied with.

* * * * * *

Axeramon waited in an open field, the sun shining brightly against his crimson armour. All around the open field were high mountains, giving this particular area the feeling of arena like properties.

"So…this is where my end will be…" Axeramon thought, glancing down at the newly acquired bracelet Serangmon gave him. His eyes then fell onto his weapon: the double sides axe that served him faithfully all these years.

"It's just a matter of waiting…they will come…" he spoke softly, looking up at the clear blue sky.

"Drowsmon…is this feeling in my heart the same feeling you felt when you left?" he asked the sky. Axeramon couldn't express himself, he didn't have the words that would have expressed it.

"Maybe there is no way I can express it…" he thought, looking at the distance in front of him. He continued to wait, knowing that they won't let him down.

* * * * * *

Four Digivices began to collect energy across the world, simultaneously opening four Digital Portals for each of them. Each of the Digi-Destined was taken by surprise by the suddenness of each gate, quickly be drawn in.

It was as if the spirits were telling them they must go to face their foes.

* * * * * *

One by one, each Digi-Destined crashed down onto the Digital plane. There were initially groans of pain and protest, followed by surprise that all four Digi-Destined ended up at the same location. The final emotion was more surprise and bitterness, seeing Axeramon in the distance, standing alone in a field surrounded by that of mountains. He was staring at them, he knew they were there, but made no attempt to move towards them. Instead, he continued to wait.

"What's with him?" Shastina asked the others, slowly getting to her feet.

"It's as though he was expecting us…" Tiberius commented, gripping his Digivice tightly.

"So…I guess we take him on them…" Marc spoke up, also readying his Digivice to Digivolve his Digimon.

"He's got an aura of confidence…" K.H. piped in. "We need to be cautious."

"There's no way he can take on four Ultimate level Digimon," Kinoumon told his companions.

"We got an advantage, so let's take advantage of it…err…that sounded weird," Xemon spoke up, grinning lightly.

"I agree, if we can defeat Axeramon here, it'll be a pivotal point in this war," Lepumon assessed.

"It's settled then," Tigramon whispered. "Let's take him on!"

Axeramon lowered his head, taking his eyes off the Digi-Destined and their Digimon for a second. His weapon was in his left hand, his right hand placed over the bracelet he wore.

"Give me your best shot…" Axeramon thought, looking up once more. The four pairs of Digimon and Digi-Destined approached him, cautious at first, but determination were as clear as day with those eight.

"I was waiting for you all," Axeramon spoke out, the four pairs all in lined up side by side. "I knew you wouldn't disappoint." He made no move to attack, not even raise his weapon. He waited for the Digi-Destined to try to step it up one level. If the device worked…

"Something's wrong…" K.H. thought, clutching his Digivice even tighter now. "He's much to confident…there has got to be some catch…" He glanced down to his Digimon, Kinoumon looking up expectantly.

The same thoughts came up in the minds of the other Digi-Destined, but Marc made the first move.

"Alright Xemon, let's end this…" he spoke softly, directing his Digivice towards the Digimon. Energy began to collect within the Red Digivice.

"Xemon…Digivolve to…"

There silence as everyone waited for something to happen. Xemon stood there, first raised, expecting himself to change. Time passed, nothing happened.

"What's wrong?" Marc asked Xemon, kneeling down.

"I don't know…I…I just don't feel the charge of power…" Xemon answered, shock in his tone with the sudden development. K.H.'s eyes went from Xemon to Kinoumon. The teenager nodded, directing his own Digivice at his own Digimon.

"Kinoumon…Digivolve to…"

Again, there was silence as the spectators expected some sort of change. Again, they were disappointed. Axeramon still held the bracelet, waiting for the other two Digi-Destined to try to use their Digivice.

"You first or shall I?" Tiberius asked the only other Digi-Destined who hasn't tried to Digivolve their companion yet.

"I'll try…" Shastina spoke softly, losing faith in her ability to succeed. She directed her white Digivice towards Tigramon.

"Tigramon…Digivolve to…"

Once more, there was silence, though there was hardly surprise now at the failure. All eyes fell onto Tiberius, the only Digi-Destined that hasn't tried to Digivolve his Digimon.

"Isn't this the part where one person is supposed to make a heroic stand where the others failed?" he asked aloud, though getting no reaction from his companions. "Alright Lepumon, let's go! Digivolve!"

"Lepumon…Digivolve to…"

To the dismay of all, there was no change. In a way, they were expecting it, and in a way, they now knew they were doomed.

"I guess that only works in fiction…" Tiberius thought, looking back up at Axeramon. He continued to stand still, not making a move against his vulnerable enemies.

"So, what _is _your secret?" Marc asked, sarcasm quite clear in his tone. Axeramon grinned a little.

"Ever heard of the Digimon Emperor?" he asked. There were some confused looks between, but Shastina spoke up first.

"Ken Ichijouji, third generation Digi-Destined, former Digimon Emperor trying to enslave the Digital World…because he was corrupted," she informed the others without turning to face them. She remembered what T.K. and Kari told her when he visited Japan.

"You stay well informed," Axeramon commented. "Consider the Black Spire technology that keeps you all from Digivolving," he told them.

"Black…Spire?" Tiberius asked, unsure what he meant. Once more, Shastina provided the information they needed.

"Black Spires…prevented Digimon from Digivolving," she spoke. "Fortunately, it didn't prevent Armour Digivolving, a form which bypassed the effects of the Spires."

"Very well informed…" Marc thought, but he couldn't worry about that right now. His concern, as were the concern of his companions, was on defeating the Digimon they were now poised to face with Rookie level Digimon.

"So, what's the plan?" Shastina asked aloud. No one answered the teenager, none knowing the answer to that question.

"How about you plan to die?" Axeramon asked, releasing the grip on the black bracelet and raising his weapon.

"Can I get a second opinion on that?" K.H. joked softly, though there was no joking tone in his voice. The line stepped back one, but the Digimon stood their ground, ready to protect their comrades to the bitter end.

"You do realise that you don't stand a chance," Axeramon told them. Still, they held their ground.

"We got to try, right?" Xemon asked, entering a fighting pose. "Hope is within us."

"I'm not afraid of you," Kinoumon responded. "Courage is with my partner, it's with me to."

"Knowledge is power," Lepumon told Axeramon. "We'll think of something."

"The light that protects all others," Tigramon spoke softly, determined to stop Axeramon. "I will not let Light fall again!"

The crimson armoured Digimon regarded each Digimon, admiring their actions. Even against all odds, they will stand and fight in order to protect what they truly believe.

"Say goodnight…" Axeramon told them, dashing forward.

An emerald glimpse caught the corner of his eyes. He haled immediately, a Sonic Sword attack blasting in between him and the other four Digimon. Eyes quickly turned in the direction of the attack. Gasps of surprise came from the Digi-Destined line.

A boy, the same age as Shastina, held a blade in his hands. His head was lowered, blade down, with a slight shimmer of emerald energy around if before evaporating.

Tao raised his head slowly, attention towards Axeramon. Harriermon stood by his partner's side, also unable to Digivolve with the Black Spire technology in place.

"If you want them…you'll have to go through me first…" Tao spoke aloud, dropping the weapon to his side.

"Tao…" Shastina whispered, clasping her hands together. She waited for this day for so long. The teenage girl could hardly hold back the tears, but she knew this wasn't the best of time to breakdown.

"Damnit…you sure know how to pick your time to come back…" Marc cursed, fist curled into a ball. K.H. and Tiberius weren't sure if they should take the sudden appearance as a good sign or bad. By the looks of it, Tao was the only one that could defeat Axeramon, and he was human.

"Gladly…" Axeramon agreed, quickly redirecting his movements towards the lone human being. Harriermon stepped out of the way, allowing the two space to duel.

Axeramon used his axe like weapon to chop Tao, but he quickly raised his sword to block. Tao was surprised by the force of the blow, as was Axeramon's surprise to see the boy able to stop that attack without shatter his arm from the pressure.

"He's trained well with your weapon," Axeramon thought, pushing Tao away while retreating himself. Tao remained in a battle pose, preparing for any sort of assault Axeramon could throw at him.

"That weapon…it is not yours," Axeramon stated in a matter of fact tone. Tao didn't flinch, but he knew who it belonged to. "Tell me, did he give it to you? Or did you take it from his corpse?" Axeramon inquired. Once more, Tao didn't answer, he only awaited another attack.

"What's he talking about?" K.H. asked the group.

"The weapon…it doesn't belong to Tao…?" Marc spoke aloud, confused with the entire concept.

"No, it belongs to Drowsmon," Shastina spoke, after piecing together the pieces. "It's the only plausible explanation for that weapon to expel Sonic Sword attacks."

"The question remains, then, if he stole the weapon or if it was a present," Tiberius spoke. "I, of course, believe it's the first option. Drowsmon wouldn't just give up his weapon, would he?"

"I dunno," Marc answered, anxious to see what Tao could do with that weapon while he was gone for those weeks. "I'm just glad he knows how to use it. He might just save us in this situation."

"Well, according to my research, Digital Weapons enhance, in Role Playing Game terms, statistics of a Human wielding it," Tiberius informed the others. "In all essence, Tao could possible be an 'Ultimate Level Digimon' with Drowsmon's weapon in his possession."

"Wait, you're telling me he can fight like an Ultimate?" Marc asked, dumbfounded with that information. "Man, there's so much to learn in the Digital World."

Axeramon rushed forward once more, slashing high with his blade, following with a low slash with the other end of his weapon. Both attacks were parried by the weapon Tao used.

Frustrated, Axeramon swung with his all his might in a forehand slash. Tao quickly rose his weapon to block the attack, but the force of the blow knocked Tao to the ground. He grunted in pain, rolling backwards as Axeramon slashed at him once more, the axe digging into the ground.

"You're going to have to do more then that to knock me off," Tao taunted, awaiting the next blow to come towards him. Annoyed, Axeramon dashed forward once more, and once more Tao blocked. This attack, however, bore more force then the prior one. Despite being blocked, the shaft of Axeramon's weapon made contact with Tao's head, knocking him down once more. Tao stopped rolling at the feet of the other Digi-Destined, disoriented by the blow. He tried to shake the dizziness from his head, but not before Axeramon was going to cleave him in two.

"NO!" came the shouts from both Marc and Shastina, both stepping into the way. Axeramon's blade was inches away from their skins when he paused.

"Leave, this is between me and him," Axeramon told them angrily.

"I don't intend to let my friend die without having a say in it," Marc protested. "I've done it once, I won't do it again."

"He…is my friend…and more then that," Shastina told Axeramon. Tears were clear on her cheeks, but she stood her ground. "He's 'died' for me once! I intend to do the same for him!" K.H. and Tiberius weren't sure how to respond, they remanded petrified on the spot.

The actions Marc and Shastina expressed spoke for them. Both there Digivices began to glow with light blue aura. The Crest of Friendship loaded onto both their screens, blasting out from each. Both halves joined together, floating in the sky with all its splendour. The scene was admired, until two beams of energy lashed out, one directed at Xemon, the other at Tigramon. Both Digimon cried out.

"Tigramon…" "Xemon…"

"Ainoko Digivolve to…"

The two Digimon became energy, sucked up by the energy tendril from the Crest. Slowly, the Crest grew into an orb. A few more seconds, if shattered into a million pieces, the silhouette of a Digimon appearing. It slowly became whole revealing the form of a Digimon. It stood twelve feet tall on two legs with three pairs of wings out stretching form its back. The body resembled that of a cat. Dragon like horns emerged from its head in burst of sapphire energy. The beast fell onto four legs.

"Tomodachimon!"

The crystal blue eyes of this massive Digimon regarded Axeramon for a brief moment, the Digimon then assess its own body.

"What…is that?" K.H. asked. Tiberius quickly had his Digivice out to analyse the beats.

__

Tomodachimon: A cat/dragon hybrid Digimon. A species of Digimon that has become lost over time. This twelve foot behemoth is a formidable foe. Main attack: Ice Archer. An Ultimate level Digimon.

"Well, looks like we found the Digimon to take on Axeramon," Marc commented, helping Shastina pick up Tao and pulling him away from the battle. Harriermon decided to join them.

"It bypassed the Black Spire tech," Shastina thought.

"They succeeded in the Digivolve," Axeramon thought, smiling lightly. "Well…Drowsmon…I hope you saved a spot for me up there, I think I'll need it…"

Axeramon charged forward, readying to take on the foe that towered over him. He slashed at Tomodachimon, but he was promptly swatted away with one of those massive claws. He fell back with a grunt, quickly getting back to his feet.

"INFERNO CRIMSON!"

Embers of fire darted towards Tomodachimon, but the Digimon was prepared, releasing its own attack.

"ICE ARCHER!"

Arrows of ice energy formed quickly and shot towards Axeramon. The first arrow was destroyed, taking the entire Inferno Crimson attack with its cold touch. The other seven or so arrows impaled against Axeramon's armour. He grunted in pain, looking down slowly.

"That wasn't as bad as I thought…" Axeramon told himself, falling down onto the ground. His breathing became harsh. He smiled once more, closing his eyes. "It's over…I can rest now…" he spoke softly, crumbling into black data. In a matter of seconds, he was with the Digital World no more.

* * * * * *

Tao held Drowsmon's weapon in his right hand, his eyes away from his Digi-Destined companions. Haeromon by his side, the two were ready to depart.

"Tao…" Shastina spoke softly, hugging Tao tightly and crying into his shoulder. Tao hugged back lightly, slowly releasing himself from Shastina's hold.

"But why?" K.H. asked, emphasising his disappointment. "You're part of the team, you can't just leave us!"

"I…I've failed…" Tao answered. "I almost got Shastina killed…and it's my fault. I'm a weak link the chain. You're better off without me around…"

"But…" Tiberius was about to protest, but was silenced with a swing of the weapon Tao carried.

"I've made up my mind…you can't change it…" Tao told them, eyes still away. He held onto the talon of Haeromon. Shastina continued to sob, but tried to remain strong.

"Marc…take care of Shas for me…" Tao told his friend, nodding his head. Haeromon took off, his passenger dangling from his talon as they flew away.

"I can't take care of her…" Marc thought. "That's your job…I can't do something that is your responsibility. I hope you realise that and come back soon…"

Fin

****

Completed: 03/12/01

****

Author's Note:

Oh, for those who's wondering, I've been thinking of Ainoko Digivolve well before I've seen DNA Digivolve on Series 2. Just to let you all know.

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	32. Episode 32-Knowledge Meets Logic

****

Knowledge Meets Logic

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_So...I have finally revealed myself. With the fact that my friends were about to be annihilated, I still hesitated. In the end, I am sort of relieved that I brought myself forward the save them._

I damn myself now for being hesitant. They are my friends, I should be there to protect them.

Then again, I wasn't able to protect Shastina...maybe I don't deserve friends...

~Diary of Tao 'Blitz' Lee, the lost Destined

* * * * * *

Tao lazily tossed his weapon onto his bed back at home. The door to his room was locked with a bolt. He sighed, leaning back on a chair as Harriermon perched on the table.

The two remained silent, unsure what to discuss. If anything, during his period of being missing, only his parents knew he was there. During that time, he stayed out of the house as much as possible, spending time in the Digital World to train.

Tao knew Marc was catching on. When Marc saw his signal inside his own house, Tao could see it back. He quickly opened a portal and left the Real World for the Digital with Harriermon trailing behind in hopes to keep his companions off his trail.

Still, his parents became suspicious with his recent amount of 'out of house' activities. It didn't bother them much at first, but then they began to get curious. Tao was just thankful his parents didn't tell anyone else that he was 'alive', so to speak.

"Well, at least now it won't matter if they tell anyone," Tao thought, glancing at the weapon wrapped in cloth that lay on his bed.

"Maybe you should join back with the others," Harriermon suggested. Tao shook his head quickly.

"They don't need me with them, I'll just be a burden," Tao told his Digimon. The teenage boy sighed, leaning further back on his chair.

"You won't know until you join up with them," Harriermon told his partner. Tao shook his head once more, getting up and taking the weapon he used in his right hand. That day, the day that changed his life...

* * * * * *

Tao slowly got to his feet, Harriermon standing over him on the plains of death. Both had barely survived the wave of destruction if it weren't for Celeaglemon's quick reaction with the Celestial Shield. This was followed by a Heal Aura as Tao still took quite a bit of the blow, being near point blank when the blast erupted.

"You okay?" Harriermon asked his companion. Tao nodded slowly, taking the weapon from the ground by his side. He glanced back at Drowsmon, still alive, barely. The Digi-Destined looked down at the blade once more, then headed towards Drowsmon. Slowly, the teenager pointed the weapon at Drowsmon, handle first.

Drowsmon blinked a few times, confused but taking the weapon. He coughed, and swung his blade towards Tao.

"TAO!" Harriermon exclaimed, about to pounce of Drowsmon. The weapon stopped a hair away from Tao's neck.

"Come on, do it," Tao told Drowsmon. The Digimon grinned slightly. "Eh, Light will survive this, we had a deal before. You need to fulfil it."

"You know how to keep your promises," Drowsmon commented, lowering the weapon. "I'm too far gone to be saved, but you, a Digi-Destined, you have a destiny to fulfil. You can't die, at least, not yet."

"I...don't understand?" Tao told Drowsmon. The Digimon's grin became wider. He twirled the weapon around, directing the handle towards the Digi-Destined.

"Use it, it'll serve you well in the future," he told the teenager weakly. He coughed once more, nearly dropping the blade. Tao slowly slid from the blade from Drowsmon's hand, watching the Digimon all the way.

"Why?" Tao asked, lowering the blade towards his side. He still didn't understand the motive behind Drowsmon's actions.

"Don't think you're a weak link to the team, you're stronger then you look," Drowsmon told Tao. "Remember that, and use that weapon well. It will help you against a great foe..." Drowsmon grinned one more time, before falling back onto the ground.

"Drowsmon..." Tao spoke softly.

"I don't regret it...just...let me go in peace..." he coughed. Slowly, his form began to disintegrate into data.

* * * * * *

_"Don't think you're a weak link to the team, you're stronger then you look," _Drowsmon told Tao on that day. That line always replayed in his mind all the time.

"If I'm so strong...why did I run away from my friends?" Tao asked himself. "I'm weak, they don't need me. If anything, I'll just be a burden on everyone..."

The phone rang suddenly, scaring Tao out of his train of thought. He was hesitant on the picking up the phone, knowing he could let the answering machine get it. His parents were out after all. Nevertheless, some nagging feeling pulled at him, and he finally picked up the phone.

"Tao..." Marc's voice spoke, surprising Tao that Marc knew he was the only one home. "Don't ask how I know, just call it intuition." There was an odd silence between the two Digi-Destined.

"What do you want?" Tao asked, his tone void of emotion.

"Come back...everyone needs you...." Marc pleaded softly. Once more, there was an awkward silence between the two.

"You don't need me," Tao answered softly, setting the phone down before Marc could protest.

"Marc?" Harriermon asked. Tao shook his head lightly, taking his Digivice from the table.

"Let's go," he told his Digimon, standing up and preparing another Digital Portal. The charge time was complete, just on the nick of time.

* * * * * *

Marc knew not to pursue the subject. Knowing his companion, he would probably be going to the Digital World to get away from it all.

"I take it that it didn't work," Xemon inquired. Marc set the phone down.

"Well, he's alive, that's a good sign," Marc told his Digimon. "I had my theories, and this proves it."

"Which was...?" Xemon asked, unsure what his partner was talking about.

"He was alive, staying at his parents house spastically to keep up his appearance of being 'alive' for his parents," Marc informed his Digimon. "The signal coming from his dwelling every so often was his, and from there, I concluded that there was a chance for him being alive."

"Woah....there's more then Hope behind your logic," Xemon commented, grinning slightly. Marc smiled back. "Explains how you got the Crest of Hope and Knowledge."

"Anyway..." Marc spoke softly, raising to his feet. He regarded his Digivice on the table for a minute, then shook his head. "Tao will find his own path, and hopefully it will join with the path we have chosen."

* * * * * *

Tiberius re-read the e-mail once more, trying to absorb everything Izzy told him about Ainoko Digivolve. His eyes went across the page of words.

_From what you've told me, my best guess is that Ainoko Digivolve is combination of three types of Digivolution. It has the properties of DNA, Armour, and Warp all in one._

DNA Digivolve is when two Digimon Digivolve together to form one Digimon. Don't ask which mind is in control, it just works out somehow.

Armour Digivolve seems to take the Digimon to the next level at the same time bypassing the effects of the Control Spire technology. In your case, it is just a bypass to the technology

Warp Digivolve is when the Digimon gathers immense amounts of energy, more then normal for Digivolve. It induces an effect that bypasses all the stages to their maximum that the could handle. The more stages the Digimon bypasses, the more energy it takes. However, there is a risk involved, as if the Digimon takes in too much energy, they may be knocked unconscious, or worst case scenario, die. Warping from Rookie to Mega seems to have no affect on the Digimon though, so it's safe.

Hope all this information helps you out.

~Izzy

"Well, I think I get it now..." Tiberius commented, closing his Digivice. Lepumon remained by his side as he read, the two enjoying the serenity of the Digital World.

"Good, because I sure don't get it," Lepumon commented. Tiberius pocketed the Digivice and looked around.

"Well, if more Digimon come at us with Spire technology by their side, we're going to have to look for more ways to Ainoko Digivolve with our companions," Tiberius told his Digimon.

"Er...then I'm assuming I'm going to have to Ainoko with Kinoumon," Lepumon told his partner. "He's the only left aside from Harriermon, who apparently won't be joining us for a bit."

"We'll see..." Tiberius spoke softly. "I have faith Tao will come back," he added without speaking his mind.

"Come, let's explore," Tiberius told his Digimon. "We were sent here for a reason, let's find out what."

* * * * * *

K.H. lowered his, staring at the ground in front of him as he walked along the sidewalk. Kinoumon was curled up inside of his jacket, the winter weather, of course, being cold.

"What's wrong?" Kinoumon asked for the countless amount of time. K.H. didn't respond, he only continued to walk down the path. His steps clearly showed something nagging at him, though Kinoumon couldn't figure out what.

"Come on, you can tell me," Kinoumon persisted. K.H. still remained silent, stopping for no reason.

"Tao seems even more distant then before," K.H. spoke softly. "We know he's alive, but he doesn't want to come back...I don't know, it just feels like we've lost him for good." Kinoumon remained silent, unable to articulate his words for a little while.

"He's alive, and he doesn't want to come back, yes, that's true," Kinoumon told K.H. "But he will still help us. He just did. He may have left, but it doesn't mean he's gone. He'll be around. Just consider it a vacation of sorts."

"Vacation?" K.H. asked. "Hardly. We don't know when he's coming back, we don't even know if he'll show up again to help."

"He will come back when he needs to," Kinoumon reasoned. The Digimon sighed, curling up closer to his partner's chest. "He just needs some time off, that's all."

K.H. was once again silent, knowing his Digimon partner had a point, but he couldn't believe it. Not yet, not until he knew what was going on with Tao.

* * * * * *

Tao swung his blade at the imaginary opponent in front of him. He followed up with a cross slash then an uppercut with the blade.

"Unless you know you're going to knock the foe down with that uppercut, don't ever use it," Harriermon suggested, having experience as Celeaglemon. "It leaves you open for counter attack." Tao stayed silent, his blade pointing towards the sky, thought clear in his eyes.

"Something bothering you?" Harriermon asked, walking up towards Tao. Tao blinked once, then slashed at Harriermon, missing his neck by an inch. Harriermon fell onto his bottom, surprised. "What was that for?!" he shouted, obviously pissed.

"I don't know..." Tao spoke softly. He stabbed the weapon into the ground. "Maybe I'm losing it..."

"You aren't losing it," Harriermon told Tao, getting back to his feet. He was a lot calmer now. "You're just distracted. Maybe what Marc said is getting to you."

"Maybe..." the human answered, sighing. Harriermon frowned.

"You have to stay focussed, or else you won't be able to fight properly," the Digimon told his partner.

"As if I wasn't focused when I took that swing at you, heh," Tao spoke softly. Harriermon gulped, rubbing a wing against his neck.

"He's got a point," Harriermon thought. "If he wasn't focused at that point, I would've been ..." Again he gulped, dropping his wing. Tao grinned slightly, taking the sword from the ground and staring out at the distance.

"Now what's he up to?" Harriermon asked himself, stepping cautiously towards Tao, stopping when he was at his partner's side, the side away from the sword.

"I think we have forgotten our goal..." Tao spoke out.

"What...do you mean?" Harriermon asked, unsure of what his partner was telling him.

"We have to stop Serangmon, all of us," Tao answered. "We forgot our goal...when I disappeared from them, they didn't come to the Digital World for a long time. When they did, it was to search for us, not to stop the Merger that Serangmon started so long ago."

"We just forgot about it since we were so busy avoiding them and training..." Harriermon muttered, cursing for their incompetence.

"There is an odd element to this entire predicament, however," Tao continued, getting another confused stare from his partner. "By now, now that I really think about it, I would have expected the Merger to be completed."

"Which means...?" Harriermon asked, trailing a bit at the end.

"Which means," Tao continued. "That Serangmon is holding back, for reasons unknown to any of us."

"Or maybe you're just thinking that," Harriermon suggested as an alternate cause. "We don't know how long it'll take for the Digital World to merge with Real World now that you _really _think about it." Tao didn't make a move, but he agreed with his partner's words. No one had the knowledge to know how long it would take the two worlds to collide.

"Maybe..." Tao answered softly. He wasn't sure what to believe anymore. Life has become so distorted for him. He spent more time in the Digital World then he did in the Real, and Real time moves slower for that matter.

"Man, I feel like an old man..." Tao muttered.

"Pardon?" Harriermon asked, didn't getting the whole of that sentence.

"Nothing, just talking to myself," Tao answered, sighing. He raised the weapon he held and examined the blade. "Sharp as ever," he thought. He started walking forward for no apparent reason. Harriermon followed, not questioning their motives.

* * * * * *

Tiberius grunted, Taijumon towering well over him and his Digimon companion. Lepumon couldn't Digivolve, as Tiberius' Digimon Analyser told him that this tree like Digimon had spire technology on him, and plus he already tried it once.

Taijumon stood a mighty 15 feet tall, easily dwarfing his opposition. He had no leaves on his branches, in fact, he only had two massive branches out his side that Tiberius guess were his arms.

"Any ideas?" Lepumon asked, standing in between his partner and the tree like Digimon.

"Er...run?" Tiberius suggested. Taijumon, upon hearing this, reeled back and took a massive swing with his right fist.

"Get down!" Lepumon shouted, leaping up and taking the full force of the blow for his companion. The Digimon sailed right into Tiberius, and both rolled backwards.

After about two seconds of rolling, they crashed into something, and more then one cry of surprise and pain erupted from the crowd.

"What the hell?" came K.H.'s voice, looking up at Tiberius, who was sprawled over the other Digi-Destined.

"K.H.?" Tiberius grunted, slowly getting to his feet. "Wait...you weren't in the Digital World!"

"The Digital World?" K.H. asked, shaking his head. "This is New York!"

"Wha...?" came the reply. Tiberius glanced around, seeing that this wasn't the same place where he and Lepumon were fighting before.

"Er...and just what did happen then?" Lepumon asked. Kinoumon 'shrugged' to answer.

A loud thumping sound caught the attention of all, Taijumon materialising from thin air, as if he just passed through an invisible waterfall.

"What the?!" K.H. exclaimed, surprised with the sudden appearance. Tiberius himself wasn't sure what had happened, but whatever sent him to the Real World must've sent Taijumon as well.

"Err...I don't know what's going on, but I got a feeling that Digimon doesn't like us," Kinoumon spoke quickly, leaping in front. "Ready when you are!" K.H. nodded, about to Digivolve his companion.

"Don't bother," Tiberius spoke quickly. "It's got spire tech on it, so you won't be able to Digivolve.

"Well, that sucks then," K.H. spoke, looking up at the 15 foot monstrosity. "Actually, I'm more curious about how you and it got here..."

"Rift between the two planes?" Tiberius suggested, backing up a few steps to get away from that tree, as did everyone else.

"How?" K.H. inquired, still keeping an eye on the tree that menacingly approached them. "I don't recall there being rifts between the two worlds."

"Well, we open portals quite a bit," Tiberius answered quickly. "This one could have just happened...or..." Tiberius' face faulted, slapping himself mentally. During the entire time Tao disappeared, their main objective became shrouded.

"It's the Merger!" Tiberius exclaimed. "It's still going on, we've just been to distracted to remember it!"

"Well, that will solve the problem of you three getting here," Kinoumon spoke. "Now figure out how we can beat this thing!"

"Er...call Shastina and Marc?" K.H. joked softly. Taijumon advanced slowly, well slowly since it was a tree.

"I think we're going to have to try something other then that..." Tiberius answered, seriousness in his tone. K.H. himself became serious. Their Digimon were willing to do anything to protect their comrades, standing protectively in between.

"Any ideas?" Kinoumon asked Lepumon, the two standing side by side.

"Dunno...just fight I guess..." Lepumon answered, looking all the way up the giant that stood in front of them. Before either Digimon could react, and with amazing speed coming from this hulk of wood, a fist came in their direction, knocking both back with one backhand punch. Both Digimon cried out in pain, rolling backwards.

"!!" Both Digi-Destined called out for their Digimon, before turning to face the giant tree, advancing one more.

"I'm not moving my ground anymore," K.H. spoke defiantly. He glanced back at his Digimon once more, seeing how much that one attack took out of him. Kinoumon staggered to get back to his feet, but the massive fist did more then enough to disable him for the rest of the battle.

"Courageous fool," Tiberius joked softly, also noticing Lepumon to be in a similar condition. "But I don't intend for this titan to hurt my partner anymore!"

"Same here!" K.H. added to the shout, stopping Taijumon momentarily. He glared at the two tiny forms in front of him, seeing their defiance and courage. It 'shrugged', knowing there just as easy to crush as any other rat like creature it crushed before. The tree raised an arm, ready to swat the two.

Nevertheless, the two stood their ground, their courage growing brightly. They weren't afraid of the tree, if anything, the ability to help their comrades made them stronger.

K.H.'s Digivice reacted with Tiberius' Digivice, creating a cascade of crimson energy. Twin beams collided from the Digivices, both halves of the Crest of Courage from each Digivice blasting out and becoming one between the two beams. Two energy blasts whipped out and ensnared their two Digimon, revitalising them.

"Lepumon..." "Kinoumon..."

"Ainoko Digivolve to..."

Both Digimon became energy, getting sucked into the Crest. A defensive shield surrounded the Crest of Courage. Four long legs slowly grew from the orb, still protected by the shield. A head also came from the orb, also protected. Finally, a large tail like apparatus emerged from the opposite end from the head.

The shield shattered into thousands of pieces. Gray Ankylosaur like scale armour formed over the massive body. The feet were of two toe proportion, sort of cloven hoofed. A gray-purple like helmet formed over the head, made from the same material as the armour. Armour of the same type then formed from the tail to the end, a serrated pincer quickly forming at the end. For the final a touch, a blazing mane of fire ran down from the base of the neck to the base of the tail.

"Kharygarmon!"

Tiberius quickly analysed the new Digimon, knowing only that is was an Ultimate level Digimon.

_Kharygarmon: A beast Digimon. A fearsome Digimon with the ability to instil fear into his foes. Attacks: Storm of Fear, Infernal Judgement. An Ultimate Level Digimon._

Taijumon didn't care. To it, the new Digimon was just another fly to swat. It raised its arm, ready to do just that.

"STORM OF FEAR!"

Dark purple energy spikes appeared against the helmet, floating forward, then a bit, then blasting forward into the massive tree. Pain surged through the trees body, as did the emotion of fear. Each spike was composed of fear energy, the anti type of what the Digimon who launched it. Fear needed somewhere to do, and for Kharygarmon, it went right towards his foes. Taijumon was frozen in fear, his arm still raised, however unmoving.

"INFERNAL JUDGEMENT!"

A large circle drew itself underneath the beast Digimon. Slowly and mythically, an archaic symbol was drawn within. Without making a move, Kharygarmon sent the emblem from underneath him to underneath the tree, who still remained frozen in fear. A massive pillar of fire erupted from the emblem, incinerating the wood instantly. Taijumon fell into bits of Data, disintegrating.

Kharygarmon, completing his mission, reverted back into the two Rookies, both losing their energy and falling unconscious. Police sirens could be heard in the distance. Tiberius and K.H., upon hearing them, decided it best to leave the scene. They left quickly after collecting their Digimon.

Fin

****

Completed: 03/15/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	33. Episode 33-The Light of Two Hearts

****

The Light of Two Hearts

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

__

Everyday I long for him to return. Since that day, the day he disappeared, I have never felt whole. There was always something missing in my heart from that day.

And now, he has come back, but doesn't wish to return.

My heart aches for him, and I don't know if I can take it without him...

Tao...please return soon...

~Diary of Shastina 'Prism' Lawson, fourth generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

Shastina stared up at the dark ceiling above her. She lay on her bed, arms underneath the blanket, the lights off and the night sky outside, illuminated by the glow from the moon. She couldn't get to sleep, her thoughts allowing her not to fall.

Tigramon was by her side, sleeping peacefully, purring in her sleep. Normally, Shastina would have found that cute, but on that night, she was too distracted to notice.

"Tao..." Shastina whimpered. His features were imprinted in her mind, and she couldn't get it out no matter how hard she tried. Struggle as she might, she just couldn't stop herself from thinking about him.

* * * * * *

Tao opened his eyes slowly, glancing up towards the night sky of the Digital World. Well, was night sky. The sun was slowly raising in the distance. He sat down on the grassy hill, his back leaning against a tree.

"I keep forgetting about that time difference," Tao muttered, stretching his limbs and taking his weapon from the ground. He looked back, Harriermon, still sleeping, also with his back to the tree. "Well, at least I can get all the sleep I want at half the amount of time," Tao thought, standing up. His unused hand fell quickly onto the small pouch on his belt, just to make sure it was still there.

"Yep, still there," Tao spoke, satisfied, though his hand remained on it.

"Why not play it?" Harriermon suggested, fatigue suggested in his voice. The Digimon obviously must have just gotten up. "I could always using a morning song," he added quickly. Tao smiled, though the Digimon wouldn't have noticed with the teenager's back turned to him. Slowly, the Digi-Destined lowered his sword and undid the pouch by his side. Quickly and carefully, he assembled the Clarinet he carried with him all the time since the day Shastina fell to Drowsmon. He wasn't sure why he held onto it, but the boy just felt a need to hold it...for her sake.

He placed the mouthpiece to his lips, blowing into the instrument. A soft tone emerged from the other side, followed by another, then another, flowing into a successive piece of melody that enlightened the world around.

* * * * * *

Shastina closed her eyes, hearing a soft melody being played in the distance; a soft and familiar melody. She sighed reminiscently, remembering the tune Tao played for her. Her mind became at ease, her heart not aching anymore for him.

The music was enough of a reminder of him to ease her conciseness. Slowly, she fell into a deep sleep, her lips curving into a smile.

* * * * * *

"Tao, something has been bothering me for a long time..." Harriermon spoke, waiting for Tao to finish his piece before speaking. He sounded as if he was straining himself, something that bothered him for a long time that he could never speak until of now, when he gathered his courage. "And I've been meaning to ask you for a long time..."

"What is it?" Tao asked, concerned for his friend. He disliked to see his friends in distress.

"Back there...before Drowsmon was deleted...." Harriermon started. "He took a swing at you." The bird sighed, still unsure of himself, but now that he has spoken, there was no turning back. "I thought I would have lost you there; yet, you had no fear in your eyes."

"...so...?" Tao asked, trailing a bit, and trying to dodge this topic.

"You looked like...you were going to embrace death..." Harriermon spoke softly. "Like you have no regard for what happens to you..." Tao remained silent, knowing what direction his partner was heading towards. "And...I would like to know...why...?" The boy still stayed quite, not really wanting to talk about it.

"Please...Tao..." Harriermon pleaded. "I want to be a good friend, and I want to know what you're feeling." Tao shook his head, turning to face his companion.

"There once was a time where I would've been afraid of death...." Tao spoke, turning away from Harriermon. "That time has long past...I hold no remorse for life anymore..."

"Over the years...I have come to be without friends, without comrades...I was alone at school. No one liked me, in fact, they always found a way to make my life miserable."

"I knew my parents were trying to help, but I wanted something more. My parents were always there to help, I wanted something more."

"And then, from there...I determined...life just sucks..."

"I'd rather die then to live like that."

"But you have Marc as friend now!" Harriermon interrupted. Tao chuckled, shaking his head and smiling lightly.

"By the time I met him, I was long foregone for ever caring in life," Tao answered. "I wasn't at the point of suicide, no, far from that. I was just at a point where it didn't matter to me what happened to my life."

"But you got so many friends now!" Harriermon protested. "You _have _something to live for! You can't just go throwing your life away!" Once more, Tao chuckled.

"They don't need me," Tao answered. "I'm just a burden to them all, and I don't want to bother them anymore with my ramblings." He turned to face Harriermon once more. "Besides, I didn't want to burden you with my problems. My problems are mine alone, no one else's."

"But you can't stand it when others are in pain..." Harriermon thought, not wanting to pursue the subject anymore with his companion. "You hold in everything...you're like a sponge for problems...and death is the only way to squeeze it all out..." Harriermon shuddered at the thought. He didn't want to lose his companion.

* * * * * *

Tiberius lay back on his bed, reading a recent E-mail from Izzy, replying about a certain hypothesis Tiberius came up with during the last Ainoko Digivolve.

_Your theory seems plausible. So far, all the evidence has supported you, especially since each of you hold a 'half' of a certain Crest. The Crest must match in order to form an Ainoko Digivolve by the looks of it._

Also plausible is the fact that the Merger can open rifts between the two worlds. It has been done before, as you have seen with the attacks in the Real World from Digital Monsters. We all seemed to have lost track of our original intention once the Digi-Destined were threatened with death.

I hope you people can stop the Merger soon, I don't like the thought of having Digital neighbors with a tendency to blow fireballs through the walls.

Keep my updated.

~Izzy

Tiberius smiled, closing the Digivice and glancing towards Lepumon who slept beside him. The little rabbit Digimon had some cute expression on his face while he slept, which Tiberius unsuccessfully tried to decipher. Grinning, the teenager slid off the bed without waking his partner.

* * * * * *

Shastina groggily blinked, awakening from her slumber that she so peacefully slept. She pulled back into her bed quickly when she saw Tigramon staring at her. The Digimon had a strange smile on her face.

"You look so cute when you were sleeping that night," the Digimon replied, leaping away from Shastina's gaze. "I assume you had a good nights rest."

"Better then ever," Shastina admitted, sitting up on the bed. "I was...listening to music..."

"Oh?" Tigramon inquired. "I don't remember leave a CD player on last night," she added, smiling. Shastina smiled back, shaking her head slowly.

"No, it was all in my mind," Shastina answered. "But...it was the nicest tone I've heard...it sounded so familiar...I can't put my finger on who played it...." she mused.

"Well, considering there's only like a million some music artists out there, it can't take that long to narrow it down," Tigramon joked. Once more, Shastina smiled.

"I dunno...it just sounded...strangely familiar...sort of haunting...just in a good way," Shastina assessed, struggling with the words to describe her feelings. She just shrugged afterwards, unable to express anymore.

* * * * * *

Twenty hours passed by in the Digital World. Tao sat down on the grassy terrain, legs crossed, arm on his knee holding his chin up. The boy was deep in thought, not wanting to commit any information to his companion in fear of hurting the Digimon some more.

Harriermon stood behind his partner, a few feet back, with his back turned to Tao. He also sat on the ground, deep in his own sort of thinking. The two hardly talked those sixteen hours, sixteen hours since they had their little conversation about 'death'. To any human, not talking much for sixteen hours is a little excessive. For a human who has no regard for his life, it's not really a problem.

Night was overhead the two, both still back to back and neither making a budge from their position. Whether there was a silent war going on between the two, it couldn't be told by the naked eye. You would have to ask them, and neither one was willing to talk at the moment.

"This silence is a killer..." Harriermon spoke aloud.

"Oh well," was the reply from his human companion.

And then there was more silence.

* * * * * *

The morning sun of the Digital World bathed down against Shastina as she entered the land. Tigramon followed beside her.

"Two hours after you get up, and the Digital World comes calling for you," Shastina complained in a half joking manner.

"Well, at least we know we're still wanted," Tigramon added. Shastina nodded, glancing around.

Well, she would've looked if it weren't for some thing that blocked out the sun behind her. She turned around, looked up, and gasped.

Standing before her was a full body armoured dark winged Angel; a _Fallen _Angel to be exact, holding a mean looking serrated sword in his left hand. His emerald eyes regarded the smaller human before him. He grinned slightly.

"My name is Garianmon," he spoke. "On the orders of Serangmon, you Digi-Destined got to die."

"And when did Fallen Angels start working with regular Angels?" Shastina spat out. "Tigramon, Digivolve!" Energy blasted from the Digivice towards Tigramon.

"Tigramon...Digivolve to...."

As sort of a surprise, but not really a surprise, Tigramon couldn't hit the Champion level.

"I don't think I need to explain what happened there," Garianmon told the two.

"No, you don't," Shastina spoke bitterly. "RUN!" she screamed out, dashing off, Tigramon right behind her. Garianmon sighed, before flying right overhead them and cutting off their escape route.

"You do realise you'll never outrun me," he told the two after they halted. "Wings go much farther then feet."

"Why don't you stop talking and start fighting?!" the voice screamed out. All eyes turned left, falling on Tao, followed quickly behind by Harriermon. Tao was running forward, unleashing three Sonic Sword attacks against Garianmon, though he easily flew out of the path of each.

"Crazy boy!" came the reply from the Angel.

"Oh well," Tao muttered, leaping up and slashing at the hovering target with a strong overhand slice. The blow was quickly blocked with the serrated blade. Garianmon pushed forcefully on his blade, sending Tao back a few steps and landing on his feet beside Shastina. Harriermon landed beside his partner.

"Tao..." Shastina whispered.

"Harrier, take Shas and Tigramon and get out of here!" Tao ordered. Harriermon didn't really want to agree, but there really wasn't much he could do in this fight. Only one person was able to fight, so the safety of the others was his priority.

"Come on..." Harriermon spoke, tugging on Shastina's sleeve, though she failed to budge from her location. Tao rushed forward once Garianmon landed on the ground, the two engaging in a duel.

"Tao..." Shastina whispered once more, clasping her hands together.

"Shas, we should go..." Tigramon suggested. Nevertheless, Shastina still did not budge.

"I can't leave Tao behind..." she spoke softly. Harriermon flew up to face level with Shastina, ready to talk some sense into her.

"Listen Shas, you can't help him," he started. "He's got a weapon he can use, you don't."

"I...I can't leave..." Shastina stammered.

"He's got no remorse for his own life!" Harriermon exclaimed. "He won't feel anything if he dies, but if you die, he'll never forgive himself, so let's GO!"

"I'll NEVER forgive myself if I let him die!" Shastina shouted back at Harriermon. "You think he has no remorse for life?! I always _wanted _to die until I met him." Shastina sobbed softly.

"If it wasn't for him, I would've committed suicide a long time ago. God, life _is _hell until I met him. He showed me something no one else showed: love!"

"Taking him away from me will be taking my life..." she whimpered. Harriermon stopped trying to convince Shastina to move. The two were soul bound. If one were to die, the other wouldn't be able to live with it, as both have demonstrated before.

Tao leaped back to avoid being cleaved in two. He landed right beside Shastina, glanced at her.

"Come on Shas, don't be so stubborn," he persisted, about to rush back into the fray until Shastina latched onto his arm. "Shas?!"

"Don't leave me again..." she sobbed, unable to contain herself much longer. The words came forcefully from her.

"Shas, I don't have a will to live," Tao spoke softly. I'm willing to die for you, just as long as I can get out of my own life." Shastina sniffled, those words reminding her of herself.

"Besides, all I'm doing is being a burden to you," Tao spoke. "Look at you, you're falling apart. It's better if I just left." With those words, and finally prying Shastina off his arm, he rushed forward once more into the awaiting Angel. Blades clashed together as Tao continued the fight.

"We should get going..." Tigramon spoke, tugging at Shastina's pants.

"No..." Shastina answered, rejecting the idea of retreat. "I will not leave Tao here. I won't let him die."

"Tao!" she screamed out. "You're willing to die for me?! I'm willing to die for you!!"

Tao's eyes went wide, pausing him for a split second and getting him a punch in the face that sent him rolling back towards Shastina. He stopped right in front of Shastina, who quickly knelt down and took his head in her arms.

"Oh Tao...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to distract you..." she apologised.

"Shas..." Tao started, tired from the battle. "Are you serious at what you said? Willing to lose...your life?"

"I came close to it once before, and I almost lost you again, and now you are going to get lost?" Shastina spoke. "No, if we die, we die together." Tao sighed, smiling lightly.

"We protect each other to the end then," Tao responded, kissing Shastina on the lips. Her eyes went wide, but she didn't protest to the whole idea. Instead, she just pulled the boy closer to her.

Two Digivices began to react, surrounding in a glow of white energy. Both halves of the Crest of Light emerged from each Digivice. The two made a whole. Harriermon and Tigramon exchanged looks, both nodded, knowing what will happen. The two beams of energy sucked both into the Crest of Light.

"Harriermon...." "Tigramon...."

"Ainoko Digivolve to..."

The Crest was surrounded by an orb, which shattered as quickly as it was formed. A humanoid figure replaced the shattered orb, made from pure energy. Slowly, silver armour red trims generated onto its body. Crimson tights formed from waist down, followed with white loincloths down and around the waist. A pair of brown boots formed on its feet. Tied to the left arm was a red bandanna. Sapphire eyes emerged from the energy, as did the short black hair with blond streaks and silver highlights. A bang trailed down each side of its face. A broadsword formed in its hand, long and with a small chip near the top of the non-bladed side. With the same energy, angel wings sprouted from its back.

"Kashokumon!"

"Well, I guess that's what you get when two Angel Ultimate become one..." Tao inquired, slowly getting to his feet.

"Er...is it a guy or a girl?" Shastina questioned, unsure what to make of the new Angel.

"Don't ask, as long as it can fight, it's cool with me," Tao answered.

"Good enough for me," Shastina agreed, waiting for the next round to commence.

Kashokumon didn't keep them waiting, blasting forward with insane speed, locking blades with Garianmon.

Shastina held onto Tao's arm as the two watched. Tao held Shastina closely, ready to protect her in case anything crazy happened in that battle.

Slash, block, slash, block, parry, evade, dodge, cross cut, deflection...

The actions went on as neither Angel got the upper hand. Tao slowly released Shastina, holding his weapon, glancing over to Shastina. The weapon had an emerald shimmer to it now, and Shastina knew what Tao was planning to do. She stepped back to give him room.

"Kashokumon, move it!" Tao yelled out. The Angel sort of guessed what was planned, and quickly moved, a Sonic Sword just blasting past where it stood a moment ago. Garianmon took the blow to the chest, unable to defend from the sudden attack. The other Angel made its move.

"DAWNING!"

Holy energy charged into the massive broadsword. Grinning, Kashokumon rammed the blade into the ground, causing a 30-degree arc shock wave in Garianmon's direction. He blinked once, cried out in surprise once more before getting swallowed by the shock wave. Slowly, it subsided, leaving data on the ground of what was once Garianmon's body.

* * * * * *

"You know what it's like to merge with a male Angel!?" Tigramon complained loudly, sort of jokingly.

"You know what it's like to merge with a female Digimon?!" Harriermon's reply came, equally as jokingly.

"No, but I can ask Xemon," Tigramon answered.

"Doh!" Harriermon spoke. The two watched their partner's in the distance, hugging each other tightly.

"You still won't come back?" Shastina asked softly, her head leaning against Tao's shoulder.

"I don't...feel ready yet..." Tao answered, sighing. "Maybe...when I know I won't be such a burden on all of you, then, I'll come back."

"But you aren't a burden!" Shastina protested.

"I am..." Tao responded. "I believe I am, and until I think otherwise..." he didn't need to complete the sentence, Shastina knew.

"Well, if you need anything, you know where you can turn to..." Shastina spoke, holding her tears. Tao nodded, about to release Shastina but was greatly surprised when Shastina held on tightly and kissed him on lips once more. Tao didn't interrupt the moment. He didn't mind at all, nor did his girlfriend.

Fin

****

Completed: 03/17/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	34. Episode 34-Brainstorm

****

Brainstorm

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer:All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_I don't understand this Merger very well. All I know is that it is forcing two worlds together._

I am not entirely opposed to the idea, but I don't agree with the current method of merging.

Merging at this kind of speed will only result in death and destruction between the two cultures. As it is, Chaos will ensnare both worlds if this keeps up.

Time may be of the essence, but this is just taking it too far.

~Diary of Tiberius 'GTK' Hartz, fourth generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

"I just don't get it," Tiberius spoke out, leaning against the wall. Izzy was busy typing on his computer, trying to assist Tiberius any way he. "The Merger is going, but hardly anything is happening; yet, on the first few days it was activated, Digimon were appearing quite often."

"Maybe he decided to slow down the process," Izzy suggested, turning to face the younger intellect in the room. "A quick transition maybe too much of a strain on the population as well as the two worlds." He turned back to his computer, clicking some more. "Here, let me show you," he offered. Tiberius pushed off from the wall and looked over Izzy's shoulder.

"Trying to graft the Digital World onto the Real World is like building a model airplane," Izzy used as an example. Both worlds were down on the screen, the Digital World disintegrating and forming onto the Real World. "Going to fast and the glue will not dry. The pieces won't stay." The parts of the Digital World that fell onto the Real World globe slowly rolled off.

"But, how does that work?" Tiberius asked, watching the reply of the Digital World fall apart once more.

"Well, for lack of anything better to use, it's a de-fragmentation device that the Merger is working on," Izzy continued. "When you save multiples of one file, the sectors for that file are spread out, thus taking longer to load. The same applies here. Slapping together all the areas for one region won't mean it'll be all together when it shifts over. It won't be a whole, and until it's a whole, it cannot maintain its form. Eventually, it will break down, the data to spread out for anything to happen."

"So, in the end, it would be useless for a speed merger to take place," Tiberius concluded. "What about these beacons he talked about? Err...transfer points I believe."

"Oh, well, those are simple," Izzy answered, quickly typing on his computer. "The Digital World and Real World are linked in many ways, one being physical features. A mountain in the Real World could be a mountain in the Digital World."

"Setting up a transfer point," Izzy continued, painting a small portion of the Real World Red. "Will make it easier to see which Digital World location is good with what Real World location." Multiple red globs ran over the Digital globe, signalizing a match. "It's sort of a faster defrag device."

"I see..." Tiberius mused, the answer becoming clear now. "So, can you estimate when the Merger will be complete?"

"Well, unless we know exactly what speed it's working on, the best estimate would be around a month to a year remaining," Izzy assessed. "Of course, even a month is pushing it. If you thought de-fragmenting a 8 Gig hard drive is bag, try something the size of the Digital World."

"Point well taken," Tiberius agreed. "I'm guessing the...the only sure sign of knowing it's about to be complete is when we start seeing more and more Digimon show up in the Real World."

"Exactly," Izzy replied. "Of course, I don't think anyone would be happy if a massive Digimon appeared and started to destroy Japan, as been done before."

"Man...we got so distracted we forgot about the Merger completely," Tiberius cursed, clenching his fist. "Guess we aren't fit to be Digi-Destined if that can happen."

"Hey, don't feel that bad," Izzy reassured his friend. "It's easy to get distracted when faced with a missing team member. At least your group didn't break up."

"No, but we didn't go the Digital World for a while either when Tao vanished, presumed dead," Tiberius answered, sighing. Izzy stood up, placing a hand on Tiberius' shoulder.

"It's to be expected," he reasoned. "You've never felt that kind of loss before, and I'm sure no one else on the team has either." Tiberius remained silent, turning his gaze towards the direction of his partner, sleeping on Izzy's bed, then back to his old colleague.

"Is there a way for us to distort the Spire technology we seem to run into so often now a days?" Tiberius asked. He didn't want to Ainoko Digivolve all the time, especially since it is not always possible to get your Ainoko partner at the battle scene.

"Hmm..." Izzy mused, sitting back down at his desk. "It is obvious that it's a portable spire," he spoke. "I don't think they can construct a spire everywhere in the Digital World in a matter of 24 hours, especially since you don't ever see spires when you fight, or at least, I hope there are no spires. If there were spires, then you're all going blind or something like that." Izzy loaded up his Digimon Analyzer, followed by loading up Axeramon's profile on it.

"Can I borrow your Digivice for a minute?" he asked, stretching out his arm. Tiberius nodded, placing the Brown Digivice into Izzy's hand.

"This trip is becoming more informative then I thought," Tiberius spoke, watching the young genius hook up the fourth generation Digivice into the computer. Quickly typing on his keyboard, another profile appeared. Izzy compared the two, then got the computer to analyze both. There was a small bleeping sound once the scan was complete.

"Ahh...that's how..." Izzy spoke. Tiberius examined the imagine, recognizing the profile image, but not the second one of Axeramon.

"That," Izzy started, pointing at the other image. "Is the battle data image your Digivice collected when you fought Axeramon for the final time. He is almost completely similar to the profile one, except, there's a bracelet on his left arm."

"And...I'm guessing that..." Tiberius paused, narrowing his eyes to get a better look at the bracelet on the battle data image. "...that black bracelet is the cause for all our troubles." Izzy nodded, closing the profile picture and loading the scanned data of Black Spire's onto the computer. Tiberius took a closer look, seeing the similarities.

"The _only _difference I see is that the power output is less, so the radius of the bracelet is much smaller," Tiberius noted. Both images zoomed out quickly, entering a wire frame mode. The area of the spire technology for each picture was represented by a blue circle. Both pictures were zoomed out the same amount.

"How Serangmon recreated that technology is what bothers me," Izzy mused. "Ken never knew what he did when he built those. The internals are complicated."

"Well, he did have three years to study that kind of technology," Tiberius replied.

"Even with three years, to study and reproduce that technology, it is quite a feat..." Izzy countered.

"Well, someone told Ken how to make those Spires, right?" Tiberius inquired. Izzy nodded slowly, still wondering. "Serangmon could be told how to build them as well."

"I don't know...anything is possible when you get down to it," Izzy concluded, sighing. "And unless you knock on Serangmon's humble abode and ask for an explanation, I don't think we'll find an answer anytime soon."

"Well, maybe we should knock then," Tiberius suggested, in a half serious tone. Izzy gave his compatriot a quizzical look. "He's the last one standing between us and stopping the Merger. No matter how we look at it, we'll have to fight him sooner or later. We'll be coming around to knock on his door."

"Well, you aren't going to fight him in the state you're in right now," Izzy countered, turning back around to face his computer and loading Serangmon's profile onto his computer. "He's a Mega level Digimon. Even if you had five Ultimate level Digimon to fight him, you won't stand a chance."

"What makes you think that?" Tiberius inquired, sickened by Izzy's lack of confidence.

"He's a Mega level Digimon," Izzy repeated. "To make matters worse, he's an _experienced _Mega level Digimon. He's got a lot more time then your Digimon in his level. He'll cream you for sure!"

"We won't know until we try," Tiberius countered.

"Listen to reason," Izzy tried to tell his companion. "At your current state, and if Serangmon comes at you with spire technology, which he probably will, you will only have 2 Ultimates to fight him with, max. To beat an _experienced _Mega with five Ultimates is hard enough, but with just two?! You must have a death wish!"

Tiberius remained silent, unable to respond. He knew that he couldn't just sit around and do nothing though. Time was of the essence now, and even if what Izzy says is true about at least one month on the Merger. The sooner they could defeat Serangmon and shut off the merger, the less harm that will come to the Real World.

"Don't forget Serangmon is not your final adversary," Izzy commented, turning back to his computer. Tiberius turned to face Izzy, his mind unable to believe why. "Remember what Serangmon said: there's a energy drain in the Digital World."

"Oh yeah," Tiberius spoke, remembering. "The energy drain on the Digital World, the reason why Serangmon activated the Merger."

"Exactly," Izzy agreed. "Given the current state of affairs, you're also going to have to find the source of all this energy drain after you handle the Merger. Obviously, the Merger will take less time to complete before the Digital World is destroyed due to the lack of energy."

"Yeah, of course," Tiberius concurred. "If not, then there was no point in activating the Merger in the first place. Finding the funnel in the energy will be the problem though."

"How so?" Izzy inquired, loading a chart. The chart contained the energy of the Digital World, and by the chart, it was slowly decreasing.

"According to Serangmon, he couldn't find the source of the energy drain," Tiberius answered, sighing.

"And you believe him?" Izzy asked, a bit surprised. "After all that he's done, you would still believe his words?"

"As strange as it sounds, yes!" Tiberius answered with much force in his tone. "Even though he's been doing crazy things in the past, he's doing for his own little righteous cause."

"In other words," Izzy corrected. "You believe he's misguided, but honest."

"Man, you must think I'm a psycho or something," Tiberius half-joked.

"No, just mentally ill," Izzy replied, also in a half joking manner. Tiberius chuckled softly, quickly getting serious again.

"Oh well, we all have our views," was Tiberius' answer. The Digi-Destined checked his watch, gasping at the time.

"Man, I'll never get home on time now!" he complained, cursing at himself for his tardiness. "I better get going," Tiberius told Izzy, waking up Lepumon, who was sleeping peacefully on the bed. "Thanks for your input Izzy."

"No problem," Izzy answered, turning around to watch the other two go. Lepumon groaned groggily, but before he could awake fully, Tiberius opened a portal for them. Scooping his partner up, Tiberius entered the Digital World, waving quickly at Izzy before leaving.

"I just hope that kid doesn't do anything crazy," Izzy whispered, turning back to his computer.

* * * * * *

"And how do you propose to stop this behemoth of a Digimon?" Marc asked, stepping back, Xemon in front of him. Tao remained between Marc and his partner and the 'behemoth' that they were fighting. Harriermon stayed in the air, watching.

Tesaurmon was a large dinosaur Digimon, most commonly similar to the Tyrannosaurus Rex. The similarities end with the fact that instead of claws, each arm was replaced with a gattling gun.

"It's got to run out of ammo sooner or later, right?" Tao asked, stepping back when Tesaurmon stepped forward.

"I don't think so," Marc answered. "You know these Digimon; for all we know, he could have an internal factory making those bullets."

"Great...." Tao muttered, keeping an eye on those two barrels that could pump him full of lead. "So what do you propose to do?"

"I just asked you that!" Marc shouted. Tao grinned slightly. In response, Tesaurmon unleashed a burst from both his cannons at Tao. Tao's eyes went wide, leaping backwards, rolling backwards, and quickly blasting Tesaurmon with a Sonic Sword attack The dinosaur cried out in pain, stopping its attack and cutting a hole into his skin.

From that breach in the skin, both Humans and Digimon alike could tell that dinosaur was a mechanical one. Just the fact that there was no blood, just circuitry of unknown sorts within.

"So, we short circuit it then!" Marc shouted out.

"Electric blast?" Tiberius suggested, just stepping through a portal and entering this scene. Eyes fell onto the newcomer.

"Well, where did you come from?!" Tao exclaimed, turning back to face the Digimon who was still stunned with the breech in its defense.

"Izzy's apartment," Tiberius answered. "Ask later, there's a more immediate threat at hand." Tiberius set Lepumon down, the Digimon ready for a battle. "I'm guessing there's some spire technology here."

"Yeah," Marc replied. "It's obvious, isn't it? We haven't Digivolved yet, nor will we unless we can get one of our Ainoko partners here."

"Your sarcasm is so appreciated," Tiberius answered, also sarcastic in his voice.

"So, do you want to e-mail or show I?" Marc asked next, sarcastic still, but there was a touch of seriousness in his tone for this question.

"Or we should just with one of our pairs," Tiberius answered.

"Would you just hurry the f*** up?!" Tao shouted, leaping forward and slashing at the dinosaur. At close range, it was impossible for the Digimon to blast holes into his foe without blasting holes into himself first. Of course, this just resulted in Tao trying to avoid getting crushed by those legs or the Digimon's tail.

"Man, he rarely swears like that," Marc commented. "Now, as you were saying?"

"Well, so far, Ainoko Digivolves have worked on same Crest combinations, my Crest of Courage forming with K.H.'s Crest of Courage to make a whole," Tiberius used as an example.

"Yeah, I noticed that as well," Marc spoke. "Unfortunately, Tao and I have tried that with Hope. It didn't work out, as you can tell."

"Maybe there's more then we thought to this Digivolve..." Tiberius muttered.

"I don't know about you though," Marc spoke, taking his Digivice. "But I'd rather try something then do nothing at all." The teenager raised his shades, glancing over at Tiberius while loading his Crest of Knowledge.

"Yeah," Tiberius agreed, taking his own Digivice. "Better something then nothing at all," he concluded, taking his own Digivice and loading his Crest of Knowledge.

"Ready?" Marc asked. Tiberius nodded. Both teens pointed their Digivices towards each other. Purple energy collided from each Digivice, the Crest of Knowledge forming where the two beams collided.

"Xemon...." "Lepumon..."

"Ainoko Digivolve to..."

Once more, the Crest that revealed its self absorbed both Digimon into it. The Crest shattered, leaving nothing for a brief second. Two bunny like legs formed on the ground, following up and creating more of the body. The back was yellow, turning into white as it circled towards the front. Long silver claws formed at the ends of white arms. The head was created in a fox like manner, the ears bent back a bit to resemble that of horns. The head was yellow with white lightning slashed across the eyes. From the head down formed spikes, all the way reaching to the newly formed dragon tail. Dragon wings erupted from his back. All in all, the Digimon was also quite furry.

"Jinchimon!"

"Woah..." both Tiberius and Marc muttered, unsure how they just did that. Tao leaped backwards, narrowly dodging another stomp from the dinosaur's foot. Quickly, Jinchimon leaped up at Tesaurmon, punching the dinosaur into the chest.

"Well, at least we know someone's Ainoko Digivolve will work," Tao muttered, omitting the fact he knew the Hope Ainoko Digivolve wouldn't work. His Crest of Hope was still shadowed, despite all the time he had to try to get it back.

"BALL LIGHTNING!"

Electric energy charged in front of Jinchimon, before being released at high speeds towards Tesaurmon. It hit his mouth, shocking with many volts of electricity.

"Ball Lightning? This isn't Magic the Gathering," Marc commented.

"Huh?" Tiberius inquired, a bit confused.

"Six/one, trample, haste, sacrifice at end of turn," Tao informed Tiberius, just confusing him even more with that explanation.

"Err..." Tiberius muttered. "I'll take it this isn't the same Ball Lightning like in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons."

"Probably not," Tao answered, looking down at the opening he made before with a Sonic Sword. Tesaurmon was lashing out with his gattling guns, spraying the area where Jinchimon was running. "I'll be back!" Tao shouted, rushing forward. Tesaurmon was distracted, giving Tao full element of surprise.

He jammed his weapon into the spot he opened before, getting a cry of pain from the dinosaur. Tao quickly twisted the blade in a 90-degree turn, then cross cut with the blade still in the Digimon. There was another cry of pain. Tao then kicked off the dinosaur, rolling out of the way of stampeding Digimon.

"Aim for that opening!" both Tiberius and Marc shouted to their Digimon. The dragon/rabbit hybrid nodded, charging more electric energy.

"BALL LIGHTNING!"

The blast entered the wide opening, shorting out circuitry as it went through. More did the Tesaurmon cry out, before he was silenced, though was clearly in pain. From the head did it start to disintegrate into data, no more of a threat to the three Digi-Destined.

* * * * * *

"Tao, come on, go back," Marc persisted. Tao shook his head once more.

"There's a reason why we couldn't Ainoko Digivolve that time," Tao remarked bitterly.

"And what's that?!" Marc questioned, gritting his teeth. He was getting frustrated at his friend's stubbornness.

"His Crest of Hope doesn't shine yet," Tiberius answered softly. Tao sighed, nodding.

"Oh..." Marc muttered, trailing off. "I hope you plan to come back once that Crest starts shinning again..."

"We'll see..." Tao answered, glancing down at his Digimon by his side. The two turned their back towards their companions. "We will see..." he repeated, beginning to walk off.

Fin

****

Completed: 03/20/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	35. Episode 35-Earthshaking Logic

****

Earthshaking Logic

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_This is where it begins._

Alright, that sounded lame, corny, and clichéd all at once.

It's hard to believe how much the Digital World has affected us. For once, in possibly all of us, we fight for something more important then anything else we ever knew. The fate of two worlds is now in our hands.

We've all had our experiences now with emotions we would have only felt later in our life: love, loss, companionship. If anything, the two that were hit most were Tao and Shas.

Those two, heh, lovebirds at heart. Being separated is not doing good to their health.

Come on Tao, you need to get back soon. She's counting on you.

~Diary of K.H. 'Nobie' Lai, fourth generation Digi-Destined.

* * * * * *

K.H. re-read the monstrous e-mail Tiberius sent each and every member of the group, Tao included.

"You think you absorbed all the information yet?" Kinoumon asked, leaning over K.H.'s shoulder.

"Doubtful," K.H. answered. "He wrote enough information here to fill a small handbook. This will take me a bit to study..."

"Eh, we got plenty of time," Kinoumon chirped happily.

"Maybe not..." K.H. answered softly. Kinoumon stopped moving, glancing at the e-mail.

"A month is still plenty of time," Kinoumon reasoned. "And Tiberius even said that it should not be possible for the Merger to be completed in that period."

"I don't know," K.H. answered. "I jut got a strange feeling both of them are wrong..."

"What...do you mean?" inquired his Digimon.

"It's going to happen...happen a lot sooner then they expected..." K.H. spoke softly. "Just call it a guy instinct," K.H. answered his Digimon before the Digimon could ask how the teenager knew. Quickly, Kinoumon fell silent.

"Or maybe I'm just talking junk," K.H. offered as the other alternative, though there wasn't much belief in his tone.

"We'll have to hope you are talking junk," Kinoumon offered. "Because if it is not junk, we're in a lot of trouble..."

With those final words, both Digimon and Digi-Destined fell silent.

* * * * * *

Tao dashed forward, swinging with his blade. Celeaglemon blocked the blow, grunting under the strain of the attack.

"Man...Tiberius is right..." Celeaglemon mentally complained. "Tao is fighting like an Ultimate..." Closing his eyes, the Ultimate level Digimon pressed against his blade, pushing Tao's weapon away before giving his partner a good punch in the face.

Tao staggered backwards a few steps, holding the side of his face. He coughed, shook his head quickly, and raised the weapon again.

"Geeze, you act like you didn't feel that," Celeaglemon remarked.

"I didn't," was Tao's reply. He stood in his place, waiting.

"Even I would've felt that, let alone you," Celeaglemon retorted.

"Is this talking or fighting?!" Tao hissed bitterly, running up once more. With another hard slash, Celeaglemon was forced to block, his right arm beginning to go numb just from the force of that last attack alone.

"Something is bothering him..." Celeaglemon thought, still holding his position at blocking the weapon. "He's never been so...brutal before..."

With deliberation, Tao leaped back, breaking from the blade lock the two were previously in. An emerald shimmer formed over Tao's weapon, and then, Celeaglemon knew to get out of the way.

The Sonic Sword attack erupted from the blade, sailing across the ground with deadly intent. The Digimon leapt into the sky, spearing his wings out and taking to the sky.

"And I don't think he's practised with lethal intent before either..." Celeaglemon muttered. If anything, it was all too clear now that something as bothering Tao.

"Would you _stop _trying to kill me?!" Celeaglemon shouted out, emphasising the 'stop' part of the sentence. Tao remained silent, but the Digimon knew he must've struck a chord somewhere in the boy's mind.

"Yes, please stop trying to kill him," a voice agreed. Two pairs of eyes fell onto the source of the voice. "It's not nice to kill your partner," Serangmon spoke.

"YOU!" Tao shouted, rushing forward and swinging with his blade. The angel Digimon quickly raised a weapon to block the blow, though his sword arm was temporarily numb just from the force of the attack.

"Does he have a bionic arm or WHAT?" Serangmon thought, not showing his pain though. He quickly regained feeling in his arm, pushing Tao away. "That last time I felt that kind of numbness was a long time ago..." the Digimon spoke to himself. "Much too long ago...I am not used to the sensation of...pain..."

Tao slid to halt, panting, though holding his blade ready at all times.

"Why is he so intent on killing?" both Celeaglemon and Serangmon thought at the same time. Their eyes met for a minute, Serangmon nodding. Celeaglemon didn't agree with what should be done, but there was little choice in the matter.

"DIE!" Tao screamed out, lunging forward once more at Serangmon. Celeaglemon shook his head, quickly swooping down, the back of his sword handle impacting against Tao's head and knocking him out. The boy fell over, though his weapon remained firmly gripped.

Celeaglemon sighed, landing onto the ground.

"I don't think he's ever been that murderous before," Serangmon commented, sheathing his weapon.

"If you were here since we started training, I wouldn't be surprised," Celeaglemon growled. "But since you weren't, it's clear something is bothering my partner." Once more, he sighed, turning to face the other Angel. "Now what do you want?"

Serangmon remained silent, walking up and kneeling down beside Tao. Celeaglemon was about to protest, but Serangmon made no threatening gestures or actions of sorts.

"There's a disturbance in Light..." Serangmon spoke softly, almost sadly. "It would explain Tao's irrational behaviour, being one to hold part of the Crest of Light." Serangmon looked up at a fellow Angel. "You should be able to feel it to," Serangmon told Celeaglemon. "You are a Digivolve with the Crest of Light after all."

"Yeah, I've felt it," Celeaglemon thought. "But I thought it was something else."

"Wait, how would you..." Celeaglemon questioned, quickly being interrupted.

"...would I know?" Serangmon concluded. "I'm one from the Crest of Hope. The two are linked in many ways. It shouldn't be a surprise to you that I can sense this disturbance."

"No...I guess not..." Celeaglemon thought, walking up and kneeling down beside Tao as well. The gut feeling of dread suddenly left his mind and body.

"It just passed..." Serangmon spoke softly, standing back up again. He exhaled, stretching out his wings. "Take care of him," the Angel told Celeaglemon before taking off into the afternoon sky. Celeaglemon remained on his knee, looking up. He placed a hand against Tao's back, sighing.

"I'll take care of him, don't you worry," Celeaglemon spoke, reverting back into Harriermon.

"But who will look after you?" Harriermon asked Serangmon, though knowing fell well the Angel won't hear him. The bird Digimon glanced back at the unconscious Tao. "Then again, who'll take care of me?" he spoke next, unsure what came over Tao.

* * * * * *

_Hope will shine, but not before Darkness takes that of Light away..._

Shastina read the words once more, trying to see through the fog of the riddle.

"I don't get it..." Tigramon spoke, leaning over Shastina's shoulder. The Digimon also read over the words again. "Any ideas on how to solve this riddle?" Shastina shook her head lightly, tempted to close her Digivice, thus closing the e-mail she just received.

"Maybe it isn't a riddle at all," Shastina spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.

"If it isn't a riddle, then what is it?" her Digimon asked.

"A prediction of the future..." Shastina responded softly. She closed the e-mail and loaded her Crest of Light that was only shared with Tao.

"Will...Darkness consume us...?" Tigramon asked, getting frightened. The Digimon understood the implications Shastina brought forth with her words.

"I don't know..." Shastina muttered. "But if it helps Tao get his Crest of Hope back, then...I'm willing to be consumed..." The Digi-Destined sighed, pocketing her Digivice and looking around the Digital World before turning her attention back to Tigramon. "And you?"

"I'll be with you, no matter what path you take," the Digimon answered without fault. Shastina smiled lightly, glad to have such a faithful and loyal companion.

"Shall we depart then?" Shastina asked, standing up. Tigramon nodded, leaping onto the ground and awaiting her partner to take the lead.

* * * * * *

K.H. stepped into the Digital World, Kinoumon following him through the portal. Just as quickly as the portal send them to the Digital World, the portal closed behind them.

"And explain this trip to me again?" Kinoumon asked, still a bit sceptical on their objectives.

"Just to question Serangmon on his intentions with the Merger," K.H. stated once more.

"And I reintegrate, you _must _have a death wish to do that!" the Digimon shouted. K.H. shook his head, though he understood his Digimon's concern.

"Sometimes the direct approach is the best approach," K.H. reasoned, standing still.

"And sometimes the direct approach gets you killed!" Kinoumon exclaimed. Either way, it was quite clear neither could convince the other otherwise of their beliefs.

"How else do you propose we get the information on the Merger?" K.H. questioned. Kinoumon was about to respond, until he realised he had nothing to respond with. "Didn't think you had an alternative," K.H. spoke softly.

"Haven't you learned enough about the Merger from Tiberius' e-mail though?" Kinoumon asked his partner, trying to counterattack.

"There was a lot there, but no solid evidence...just lots of theories..." K.H. answered. "We can't do anything until we get the facts. It's logical that we find out what those facts are."

"Getting ourselves killed at the same time..." Kinoumon muttered. K.H. didn't hear, but the teenager sort of figured what the Digimon spoke.

"And again I ask if you have any bet-" K.H. spoke, but was interrupted by his Digimon.

"No, not at all," Kinoumon answered, knowing the question. "But I don't like the concept of getting deleted either." K.H. sighed, also not liking that feeling.

* * * * * *

Tao groaned loudly, signalling to Harriermon that his partner was awake.

"How do you feel?" Harriermon quickly asked, standing up and helping Tao get to his feet despite the Digimon's small frame.

"Get me an aspirin..." Tao complained. "I must have the biggest migraine ever known to human history..." he spoke softly, holding head. Harriermon's heart sunk, knowing he caused that pain to his partner.

"Sorry Tao, I didn't mean to hit you so hard..." Harriermon apologised. Tao shook the diziness from his head.

"Don't be sorry," Tao answered softly, standing up slowly. "I understand why you did it..."

"You...do...?" Harriermon asked, surprised. He was expecting his companion to be in some murderous mood still. Tao nodded slowly, tossing his weapon away from both himself and his Digimon.

"I don't know...but something...I just needed to kill something..." Tao spoke softly, clenching his fists. "I don't know to explain it...I'm sorry..." Harriermon remained silent, watching his companion closely.

* * * * * *

Serangmon landed onto the balcony of his home, the home where he hosted the Digi-Destined once. The Angel Digimon slowly opened the door to his abode and entered, downed from the recent events dealing with Tao.

"Is he turning?" a voice asked from the dark shadows within Serangmon's room. The Angel would've been surprised if this visit was a few weeks ago, but now, he knew what to expect.

"He is," was the reply from the Angel. "If only there was a way not to change him."

"Let him be," replied the figure from the shadows. Serangmon spat out disgust with the sudden change.

"You can not be serious, to let him turn sides?!" Serangmon protested. The Angel could 'see' the figure shake his head.

"It may be better if he is consumed..." was the response.

"I can't believe you are saying that!" Serangmon shouted out. The Angel exhaled, calming down quickly. It didn't matter what he did, the Digimon knew he couldn't change the will of the person he was talking to.

* * * * * *

"Just our luck to run into the same Digimon that wanted to kill us the first time I was here..." K.H. commented, backing up slowly. The rocky terrain provided it hard for the Digi-Destined and his Digimon to run from the current threat.

Tymanstamon popped up from the ground, baring fangs. If anything, the Ultimate level Digimon was much wider then his Champion level form. The 'wings' of the manta ray Digimon were clearly metal in nature, each wing holding a cannon underneath.

"Yeah, well, it must've tracked pretty far," Kinoumon spoke. "It's a quite a distance away from where we first met to this location."

"Quite..." K.H. agreed, stepping back to make a bit more distance between the Digimon and himself.

"You know, we should stop being for satirical," Kinoumon spoke. "Especially when I can't Digivolve and that thing is going to blast holes into us anytime now..."

"I don't think satirical is the right word, but you got a point..." K.H. corrected. He kept his eyes on the sand manta ray, awaiting an attack at any time.

"BLAST STORM!"

Tymanstamon flew backwards with the recoil of the blast. Twin balls of sapphire energy rocketed towards the Digi-Destined and his partner.

"Down!" Kinoumon shouted, somehow toppling his partner with his light frame. Both bolts of energy sailed overhead and against a far wall in the rocky terrain. Rock shrapnel blasted out from the points of detonation.

"Thanks..." K.H. grunted, slowly getting to his feet. Tymanstamon quickly returned to his previous position, annoyed that he didn't destroy his target as he originally intended with the first barrage.

Tymanstamon glided forward, using his momentum to hopefully do more then topple the Human.

"Out of the way!" Tigramon screamed out, leaping from an insane height and landing on top of Tymanstamon. The force of weight plus gravity forced the Digimon into the ground, Tigramon rolling off the back on the hardly flat ground. She groaned in pain, slowly getting to her feet.

"Next time I want to do that, tell me not to..." the feline Digimon complained, watching Shastina dash towards her. The Digimon glanced up at K.H., who was directly behind her, then at Kinoumon, beside his partner. Shastina skid to a halt in front of the trio, panting from her run.

"Normally, I would greet you, but in a time like this, I think we need to work out an Ainoko plan," K.H. spoke, taking his Digivice.

"Well...so far, Ainoko Digivolve results in same Crest combinations...so...Logic power?" Shastina asked. K.H. nodded, glad to know that Shastina also knew what he was talking about. "It makes sense."

"What's why you got Logic as a Crest," K.H. commented, raising his Digivice towards Shastina's Digivice. A brown glow of energy blasted from both Digivices, clashes in the centre and forming the complete Crest of Logic. Two tendrils of energy engulfed both Digimon, absorbing them into the Crest.

"Kinoumon..." "Tigramon..."

"Ainoko Digivolve to..."

A petrified figure emerged from the Crest, though petrified for not much longer. The read end of the statue became life, revealing lavender skin with an anchor like apparatus at the tip of the tail. The petrifaction was soon removed over the main body, the four-legged beast standing tall. The hind legs were bent forward, the forelegs bent backwards. Soon, the head was revealed, a reptilian like form with no mouth and a semi long snout. The hair of the beast was formed with energy, converted into tentacles. With more energy, shoulder blades formed on the forelegs, curving back in a 90-degree arc at the midsection.

"Ofunaitsumon!"

The Ultimate level Digimon reared up onto the two legs, stamping the ground afterwards. It was all to clear Ofunaitsumon was ready for battle. Of course, with Tymanstamon still buried underground, it would be impossible to attack.

"Any ideas?" Shastina inquired, the question all too obvious.

"Wait for it to attack, then counterattack..." K.H. answered as if it were so simple.

To agree with the point, Tymanstamon did emerge from the ground, diving towards Ofunaitsumon with all its might. The attack came from behind, giving the Digimon almost no time to react, but just enough to evade the attack. Tymanstamon dived back into the ground again.

"You intend to counterattack something that fast?" Shastina inquired, pointing towards where Tymanstamon sunk back into the ground. K.H. remained silent, analysing the battle.

Tymanstamon appeared again, blasting straight into the sky and diving back down.

"BLAST STORM!"

The Digimon let loose a barrage of energy shells towards Ofunaitsumon with inaccuracy. The beast Digimon was able to dodge with ease, but there was no window to attack back as the manta ray dived back into the ground.

The battle went on for several minutes in this same fashion, neither gaining an edge over the other. Both Shastina and K.H. watched with intensity, and both noticed the same thing at the exact same time.

"Behind you!" both shouted out at once. Ofunaitsumon quickly turned around, Tymanstamon just bursting out from his protective layer. The two Humans saw the pattern of attack, their Digimon grateful for their assistance. The opening for an attack was blatantly clear.

"CROSS BLADE!"

Both shoulder blades on the Digimon enlarged nearly two fold. Standing on its hind legs, the Digimon crossed its arms quickly, the two enlarged blades catapulting forward. Two more shoulder blades grew out of the skin, the other two directed towards the manta ray.

There was no way Tymanstamon could have avoided the attack. Both blades cut into the metal plating of the Digimon, cutting into and through it like cheese. The manta ray collapsed onto the rocky surface, squirming, though each movement only gave it more pain. Slowly, it died, turning into bits of data for reconfiguration.

Ofunaitsumon exhaled, tired from all the dodging. The Digimon slowly formed into two beams of energy, which were then converted into two separate Rookie level Digimon. The two were grinning wildly, glad of their achievements.

K.H. let out a sigh of relief, glad that was all over. Shastina was just happy everything came out okay. Tigramon still had a wound on her leg with the previous pounce on the manta ray, resulting in her crashing down harshly.

Nevertheless, all four were glad that was all over.

Fin

****

Completed: 03/28/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	36. Episode 36-Smothered Light

****

Smothered Light

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

__

Having an aggressive urge to kill something is something I wouldn't want to experience again.

Then again, I might not have a choice.

Just something came over me...and then I wanted to see blood...lots of blood...especially the blood of Angels.

Or worse, those close to me...

Oh please...don't let me fall to it again...whatever it is...

~Diary of Tao 'Blitz' Lee, the lost Destined

* * * * * *

There was darkness all around. The light came only from one point: a teenage girl standing in the sea of darkness, her body illuminated with the power of Light.

"It's so cold..." Shastina whispered, wrapping her arms around her body. The light grew brighter as though commanded, giving a bit of heat to the illuminated area. She slowly unwrapped herself, feeling the heat her Light emitted.

"Hello?" Shastina yelled out, her voice echoing in the sea of black. There came no reply from the darkness. "Anyone out there!?" Shastina shouted next, again her echo followed.

"S-Shas..." stammered the voice, weak and frail. Faintly and in the distance, Shastina saw the glow of another in the dark. Shastina squinted to see who that was in the distance. The Digi-Destined gasped, identifying the weak human whose glow was beginning to fade.

"Tao!!" Shastina cried out, running forward. However, no matter how hard and fast she ran, Tao never seemed to get any closer. The boy was on his knees, weak for reasons unknown.

"Shas..." he spoke weakly, his Light beginning to fade.

"TAO!!!" Shastina screamed before the boy was completely engulfed in darkness, leaving her alone once more.

"Tao..." Shastina spoke softly, falling to her knees, her Light still as bright as ever. A hand fell onto her shoulder, startling her. She gasped in surprise, slowly turning her head to face the new comer.

"Shas..." Tao spoke softly, his glow no longer visible, his form there however.

"T-Tao...?" Shastina asked, glancing down at the weapon in his hand, then back up to his face. There was an aura of darkness around him, not just the fog of dark around them, but something dark was coming from Tao.

There was a grin on his mouth; a grin of sadism, a grin of evil. With one swift movement, he thrusted his sword into Shastina's stomach, the blade emerging from the other side.

Shastina cringed in pain, her muscles tightening from the sudden attack. Slowly, the teenager opened her eyes and looked up at Tao, that grin still on his face. The weapon slowly slid out of Shastina's stomach, allowing her to fall to the ground. The blade was soaked in her blood, the Digi-Destined's vision going blurry. Her Light began to fade, the figure of Tao slowly walking away.

* * * * * *

Shastina shot up in her bed, breathing harshly. Tigramon still remained asleep beside her, partially disturb by her partner's sudden movement, but not waking from it.

"It was...just a dream..." Shastina gasped softly, a hand running down to her stomach. There was no wound, no scar, nothing. She sighed, falling back down onto the bed. It was still dark outside, indicating it was still very early in the morning in California.

She lay on the bed, but she couldn't get her eyes to closed. Every time she closed those eyes, she saw the blade drenched in blood of her body.

Then, the line came back to her once more.

_Hope will shine, but not before Darkness takes that of Light away..._

"Is it a sign?" Shastina thought, glancing at the Digimon beside her. Tigramon slept peacefully, a smile on her face. It was clear her dream was much better then the dream Shastina just had.

* * * * * *

Tao's eyes went wide, his forehead clear with sweat. The morning sun was just rising over the horizon in the distance, but the Digi-Destined had no time to admire the view of the Digital World.

"It...was a dream..." Tao thought, looking towards his arm. In his hand, gripped tightly was the weapon he possessed. There was no sign of the blood of his loved one on the weapon however.

"Yes...just a dream..." Tao spoke softly, getting to his feet. The campfire he and his Digimon made the night before was out, little smoke rising from the remains. He raised the weapon to eye level, still seeing the blood he shed in that darkness.

"What does it mean?" Tao asked himself, forcing his eyes closed. His grip grew tighter against the weapon.

A glimpse of darkness flashed before his closed eyes. Not just the darkness from his eyelids, but something more. Tao took a step back in surprise, gasping and sensing the evil from within.

"No..." Tao groaned, dropping his weapon. He grabbed his own body, falling to his knees. "What is it...that darkness...what is it?!" Tao cried out, closing his eyes in pain.

The Digi-Destined screamed out, awakening his partner.

"Tao?!" Harriermon exclaimed, quickly getting beside his partner. Tao's body shook in pain, the boy trembling.

"Harrier...get away from...here...from me..." Tao spoke weakly, falling farther to the ground.

"But..." Harriermon protested.

"NOW!" Tao screamed, crying out in pain once more from his out burst. "I don't want to hurt you..." was the next response, albeit weak. It gave Harriermon all the incentive he needed though, seeing what would become of his partner. Tao removed his Digivice from his vest pocket and directed it towards Harriermon, inducing a Digivolve.

"Harriermon...Digivolve to...Haeromon!"

The massive bird flapped his wings, still watching his partner.

"Now...go...before...I...lose...it..." Tao spoke, his voice raspy, his hand losing his grip on the Digivice. Haeromon didn't want to leave his partner, but at a time like this, he needed help, for his sake, as well as Tao's.

"I'll be back with help!" Haeromon shouted, taking off like a rocket towards the distance.

* * * * * *

Marc woke with a startling blaring beeping in his ear. He quickly grabbed his Digivice from the night table, energy beginning to collect.

"What's going on?" Xemon inquired, fatigue apparent in his tone, though the alarm woke the Digimon up good.

"A Digital Portal...forming now?" the Digi-Destined asked, knowing full well his partner wouldn't have an answer.

"At this time of day?!" Xemon protested, fully awake now. Neither had time to respond, the two being sucked into the Digital World against their will.

* * * * * *

Shastina wasn't awakened by the sudden blaring of her Digivice, but she was clearly surprised. Tigramon was awakened with the sound, glancing up at Shastina for an answer.

"Don't look at me," Shastina responded, taking the Digivice. It was clear from the energy being gathered that a portal was being opened, and that the Digital World was taking this pair whether they liked it or not.

* * * * * *

Haeromon soared through the sky, desperately searching those that can help him in this time of need.

A bright light caught his attention. The Digimon dived down, getting an idea of what just happened.

* * * * * *

Marc and Shastina exchanged looks, both still a bit tired, but both also ready for whatever emergency that befell the Digital World.

"At least they give us our clothing," Marc spoke, dropping his shades to block out the sun and then yawning.

"Don't go falling asleep behind those shades now," Shastina joked dryly, knowing that this call must have something to do with her dream. Tigramon and Xemon looked up at the sudden shadow, seeing Haeromon diving down towards them.

"Haeromon!" Shastina exclaimed, waving. Her expression went sour when she noticed the Digimon had no passenger.

"Where's Tao?!" Xemon demanded before anyone else could demand the same thing. Everyone waited for an answer from the bird as he landed.

"He...he's losing it...or he's lost it...I'm not sure..." Haeromon answered, forcing the words out.

"What do you mean he's losing it?" Tigramon inquired, a bit confused, as were two others. For Shastina, however, she had a good idea what it meant.

"Take us to him," Shastina spoke, climbing aboard the Digimon's talon. "And make it fast, I think I know what's going on," she quickly added, waiting for the other three to get on. The needed no more encouragement, climbing aboard.

"Let's go!" Shastina commanded, the avian Digimon blasting off towards his partner's last location.

* * * * * *

Tao watched his Digimon landing on the ground before him. He clutched his blade loosely, watching the passengers disembark. In his eyes, there was no pain, just hatred – an untold hatred that no one can see.

"You've returned..." Tao spoke softly, without malice and without stagger. Haeromon couldn't see the agony on the Digi-Destined that suddenly hit the boy so little time back.

"Tao...is something the matter?" Marc asked, stepping forward before Shastina dragged him back a step.

"Yes, he's changed," Shastina answered, holding Marc's arm to keep him from advancing. Tao smirked, knowing that the shared a dream a while back. He also knew to Shastina, it wasn't a very pleasant dream.

"You saw it too, it's quite clear," Tao spoke, not raising his weapon. Shastina remained silent, but knew what Tao was talking about.

"Darkness takes that of Light away..." Shastina spoke softly, finally understanding what it meant, or, at least, partially.

"Pardon?" Haeromon asked, unsure what the Digi-Destined meant.

"Darkness took Tao away from us?" Tigramon asked. Shastina nodded slowly, taking her Digivice out. She didn't want to fight Tao, but chances are, if she wanted even a remote chance of getting him back, she'll have to.

Tao saw Shastina's Digivice, grunted, then raised his own. Marc followed, ready for battle anytime now. Marc's and Shastina's Digivice both activated at the same time. Tao continued to wait, confusing them a bit. If Haeromon Digivolved again, it would be the much easier to stop Tao.

"Xemon..." "Tigramon..."

"Digivolve to..."

"Vormon!" "Toramon!"

Tao smirked once more, glancing between the two Champion level Digimon. He raised his Digivice again, pointing it towards Haeromon.

"Digivolve..." he whispered, barely audible. Energy collected in the Digivice, empowering Haeromon. The Digimon, however, cried out in pain, nearly falling over as energy overcame him.

"Haeromon...Digivolve to...Celeaglemon!"

The Light Digimon, however, wasn't that of Light anymore. The wings of the Angel/Eagle hybrid were as black as the night sky. There was no friendliness or caring in the eyes of the Digimon as he now stood by the side of Tao, his weapon drawn and ready.

"The Crest of Light has succumb to the Darkness..." Shastina gasped, unable to believe it.

"That's just _so _nice to know," Marc spoke sarcastically, loading his Crest of Hope. "Alright Vormon, let's step it up one!" His Digivice blasted with power, charging his Digimon with energy.

"Vormon...Digivolve to...Millenimon!"

Shastina shook her head, unable to believe the turn of events. "And may Light purify the Darkness that has taken you Tao..." Shastina whispered, loading her Crest of Light to combat the new enemies that has arisen. Once more, the Digivice charged with energy.

"Toramon...Digivolve to...Siberimon!"

* * * * * *

"I see you've taken his soul...." the voice commented. There was a grunt from the Darkness that ensnared the figure, though it was clear this Digimon wasn't afraid of the 

Darkness.

"The boy of Light belongs to me now," was the reply from the Darkness.

"And if the other half of the Light doesn't allow it to happen?" the Digimon asked, watching the battle from the cover of darkness that was invisible to all.

"That's what you are for," the Dark replied. The Digimon nodded, continuing to watch the fight unfold. "If it doesn't go according to plan, I guarantee to terminate them all."

"You know what happens if you fail," was the response. The Digimon shrugged.

"If I fail, I'll get terminated by them," the Digimon answered. "You need not threaten me with those words, I know what can happen."

"Good," came the Dark. "It is difficult to find assistance like yours."

"It shall not be a problem to destroy them though," the Digimon answered. "I took the time to jack a spire technology bracelet from Serangmon's abode, and with the fact that there can be no more Light Ainoko Digimon..." The Digimon need not conclude himself, the answer was all too clear.

* * * * * *

Tao grinned, raising his weapon now to confront his two former friends. The fallen Angel Celeaglemon remained by his side, both void of any sort of caring and remorse they once had for their companions.

"Which one you want?" Millenimon asked the Digimon he stood beside. Siberimon regarded the opposing Digimon, then the Human, then the Digimon again.

"I'll take on my alter ego," she responded, Celeaglemon quickly leaping towards Siberimon upon hearing the challenge.

"Oh sure...leave me with the task of beating a Human without scratching him!" Millenimon exclaimed.

"Not my fault!" Siberimon shouted, leaping into the sky, Celeaglemon chasing after her with that mean looking sword of his. Millenimon sighed, knowing she was right. He was the one who asked which she would like to duel.

"Look out!" Marc exclaimed, but a moment too late. Tao was already before Millenimon, making a large gash against the dragon's scales. The dragon Digimon was stunned by the attack, but he quickly regained his senses, ready for any more attacks.

"You're going to regret that," Millenimon growled.

"And you're going to stop me?" Tao asked, laughing slightly and leaping up towards the dragon's head.

* * * * * *

Serangmon clutched his weapon's handle tightly, sensing the darkness that was being released. That wasn't the only thing that frightened him. He tried to stop it happen once, but under orders, he didn't stop it a second time.

"Now...his heart has become as black as the being that posses him..." the Angel spoke softly, closing his eyes. "I sure hope we know what we're doing...."

* * * * * *

Tao breathing was irregular and harsh, though he clearly held the upper hand, especially considering the fact that the two recent duels left all three Digimon in their Rookie forms, though Harriermon remained loyal to the cause of inflicting pain.

All three Digimon were tired beyond belief, exhausted and lying the ground, leaving Tao with everyone's fate in his hands.

"Get out of here," Marc told Shastina, placing himself in between the two other Humans. Shastina shook her head violently, unwilling to abandon her friends. She pushed Marc out of the way and approached Tao directly, unafraid anymore of anything that might befall her.

The two stood face to face, neither making a move from their positions. Marc stood still, not wanting anymore to interrupt this delicate situation.

"You will die," Tao told her. Shastina still stood her ground, knowing full well she can suffer the same fate she did in her dream. Tao didn't make any sign of weakness, only slowly raised his blade and pressed the sharp edge against Shastina's neck, though not pressing very hard.

It was then Tao saw the same blood he saw in his dreams. The blood of his friend, the blood of his lover. He pressed no more, but he still saw blood. The blade was coated with it. Tao's hand began to tremble at the sight of it.

Marc watched, unbelieving what he was witnessing. Shastina's body was surrounded in a glow, the energy of Light empowering her. Tao took a step back, dropping the weapon, his body shaking violently once more. He fell to his knees, clutching his head.

"Get out of me..." he cried softly, pressing against his head tighter. "Leave me alone...you can't make me...stop...please..." The words made little sense to the spectator. Shastina's response was to place a hand on Tao's shoulder, getting him to look up at her.

"H-help me..." Tao sobbed, tears of pain rolling down his cheeks. Shastina nodded, kneeling down and wrapping her arms around Tao's head, setting it on her lap. Tao began to cry, the glow of Light energy beginning to ensnare Tao as well. His shaking began to stop, his pain going away. Slowly, but surely, the darkness that possessed him before was repelled with the Light Shastina had.

"It's over..." Shastina spoke, the Light dissipating from both bodies. Both teenagers slowly got to their feet, tired from their ordeal.

The moment of triumph was lost in a flash, a dark energy ring blasting from the sky and knocking into Shastina. She cried out in pain as another energy ring wrapped around her neck, lifting her from the ground.

"Shas!!" both Marc and Tao screamed out, watching helplessly as something stole Shastina from them. All three Digimon were back up to their feet upon hearing the cry, Harriermon also no longer under the influence of Darkness.

"This is one annoying bitch to handle..." the Digimon spoke, slowly floating down from the sky. Shastina held tightly against the ring that held her, losing her breath slowly.

There were no words that could describe the Digimon they saw. He was a devil, coated completely in black, the only feature known was his muscular build and the crimson eyes behind that face mask. The only other part of his body revealed was the mouth, and it curled up with sadistic delight.

"Let go of her!" Tao shouted forcefully, retrieving his blade from the ground and leaping up towards the Digimon, only to be repelled with one gesture from the Digimon, knocking the boy back down with a black energy ring.

"I, Maoumon, have been ordered to destroy all of you Digi-Destined, starting with this little one right here..." he spoke, grinning once more and punching Shastina in the stomach, weakening her greatly. She cried as much as possible in pain, though being suspended in the air by her neck did nothing for her health.

"NO!" Tao shouted out, weakened, but not down for the count. No, he was far from that state.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Maoumon sneered. "You have no Hope of beating me, and your Crest proves it all."

"We'll find a way!" Marc shouted out. "And fast..." he added under his breath.

"We will!" Tao agreed. "To give up is to throw everything away! I lost that once, but now...now..."

"I won't give up on her! She never gave up on me, I can't on her...not yet! There is Hope, no matter what!"

Tao's Digivice began to react with his words, charging with power for every word he said of Hope. It was quite clear what it meant, and the fact that both Tao's Digivice and Marc's Digivice began to pulsate with energy in synchronisation was a sign of something.

Two beams of energy collided in a familiar display, the Crest of Hope formed in between. Both Harriermon and Xemon were taken into the Crest.

"Harriermon..." "Xemon..."

"Ainoko Digivolve to..."

A massive beast shattered the protection that sheltered him. Large dragon wings quickly formed on the back, as did a long dragon tail. In a blast of energy, silver armour formed all around the Digimon's body. The neck stretched out, an eagle head at the tip. There were talons for legs and dragon like arms protruded from the body. All exposed parts of the body were covered in dragon scales.

"Ichidoumon!"

Before anyone can say anything, the massive Dragon/Eagle hybrid rocketed towards Maoumon. With the speed of an eagle and the power of a dragon, the Digimon rolled over the Daemon Digimon. There was a cry of pain from the Digimon as he was bowled over, breaking his concentration on the energy ring around Shastina's neck. She didn't give a scream of terror as she fell. She did, however, give a sigh and coughed when both Marc and Tao caught her from her fall.

"Oh, Tao..." she spoke weakly, Marc backing away from the two lovebirds once he knew that both were safe. Tao cradled Shastina's head in her arms, allowing her to lie in his lap. Tao sobbed softly, placing his forehead against her forehead.

Both Maoumon and Ichidoumon faced off the in sky, far from bothering the three Humans on the ground below.

"DARK SABER!"

A blade of pure black energy formed in Maoumon's hand. The daemon grinned, rushing forward with no regard for his own safety and with a goal to run the hybrid Digimon through.

Ichidoumon dived low, narrowly avoiding becoming skewered by an unholy weapon. Maoumon was annoyed now, unbelieving that something so dragon like could move so fast. He dived down towards the Digimon.

Right into a blast of energy.

"HOLY BLAST!"

A breath of pure holy energy erupted from Ichidoumon's mouth, incinerating the unholy being with divine retribution. The daemon was slain, his remains floating slowly towards the ground as ashes of data.

* * * * * *

"Tao...even with Hope back...I don't believe you want to come back..." Shastina spoke softly, eyes closed, head on Tao's lap. Tao was on his knees, holding Shastina's head and running a hand through her hair lightly.

"I don't want to go crazy...not again...and the best way to ensure all our safety is if we remain worlds apart...me...away from you and the others..." Tao responded, closing his eyes. A small tear ran down his cheek, though unnoticed by those around.

"It's okay...I understand...." Shastina answered, not enjoying the turn of events, but accepting it as fate. "I...I just there was more I can do..." she concluded, sighing. Tao remained quiet, still brushing Shastina's hair softly.

* * * * * *

"Will the two ever be together?" Tigramon asked Marc, the three Digimon and one Digi-Destined standing a distance away from the two in love.

"Only if fate let's them..." Marc answered, wishing for that pair that fate wasn't so cruel. "Only if..."

"And when will that be?" Harriermon asked next, also concerned for his partner.

"Who knows..." Xemon replied, shrugging. "It could be never..."

Fin

****

Completed: 03/27/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	37. Episode 37-The Power of Four

****

The Power of Four

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

__

To fight a Mega you must confront as a Mega.

That's the logic I see right now. Serangmon can not be defeated until we can achieve a Mega level Digimon.

And the only conceivable way to do that is to DNA Digivolve two of our Ainoko Digimon together. It is not truly an Ainoko Digivolve if it is with different Crest combinations.

Two Ultimates fusing together would result in a Mega. Or maybe the Ainoko will just Digivolve on his or her or its own, giving us more then one Ainoko Mega.

Well, we will never know until we can attain a Mega level ranking.

~Diary of Shastina 'Prism' Lawson, fourth Generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

Tao sat on the hillside, his knees drawn up to his chest, his weapon sticking out of the ground beside him, blade down of course. He wrapped his arms around his knees, his Digivice in his right hand. Once more, the sun was only beginning to rise, starting a new day in the Digital World. For Tao, however, the new day was of little concern. Other thoughts preoccupied him, specifically his chaotic behaviour a few days back.

Harriermon slept a few feet away from him, not awakening from the glaring light just yet. Tao didn't practice against Celeaglemon for quite a long time, Harriermon always asking why not. Tao never answered, though the Digimon suspected something to do on that day.

Tao raised his Digivice to eye level, the Crest of Light loaded on the screen. _Former _Crest of Light, as it should be said.

The Crest no longer retained its colour. It was now as black as the night sky, blacker then the shadowed out region of the half Crest he didn't own. It wasn't a symbol of Light anymore.

"It's the complete opposite..." Tao whispered, closing his eyes and lowering his Digivice. "When Hope is regained, Light will be smothered..." he whispered, lying back down on the ground. He pocketed the Digivice, placing his hands over his eyes afterwards.

The darkness seemed to embrace him, welcoming the boy. Tao didn't mind, or didn't mind as much. Nevertheless, he hated himself for succumbing to the Darkness. He hated himself more for hurting those he cared for, especially _her_.

"Life sucks, then you die..." Tao recited softly, remembering the quote he used to say very often. "In this case, life sucks, then your friends die..." The boy sighed, laying down now in a spread out position, his arms outwards, shaping him in a cross. His eyes remained close.

"Yeah...your friends die...or they disappear...either way, it's not fun..."

* * * * * *

Serangmon raised the bracelet up to eye level. The black metal gleamed in the sun. The last of the few Serangmon built was what he held. The Angel Digimon had no intention of making anymore. If anything, it was now for the Digi-Destined to show their power, or die trying.

"The Darkness is approaching, I can't afford to wait any longer..." he told himself, opening the bracelet. "The Digi-Destined must be prepared for it. No longer can I hold back this fight." The Angel snapped the bracelet in place over his right wrist.

"Without a Light Ainoko anymore, there is really little the group can do against you," the voice from the corner came, still shrouded with darkness, despite the sun shining directly in.

"They'll find a way," Serangmon replied, not surprised at all by the sudden visit. "They always have so far. I won't be surprised if they do so now as well."

"They aren't sufficiently prepared yet," persisted the voice. The Angel Digimon shrugged, outstretching his wings upon stepping onto the balcony.

"The Darkness is coming," the Angel told the figure. "You can sense it as well as I. He is making his return, well before the expected time. It isn't going to be pretty if the current Digi-Destined isn't prepared for him."

"Even so, there's only so much you can prepare them to," the voice countered.

"Then I'll just have to prepare them faster so they can get more training together," Serangmon countered, taking off before he could hear anymore from his unexpected guest.

* * * * * *

Tiberius glanced down at his Digivice, four other signals being tracked from the screen. He, his Digimon, and three other signals were tracking closer to each other. The last signal remained stationary. That signal was also the closest signal to Tiberius.

To him, that meant two things: that signal belonging to the Digi-Destined didn't want to move, or that Digi-Destined was in trouble and couldn't move.

"We're getting close," Tiberius told his Digimon, running to quickly reach his companions location, whomever it may be. Lepumon stayed close by his side, in step with his partner.

"Think we'll be too late?" Lepumon asked, panting.

"Don't think that," Tiberius quickly told his Digimon, doubling his efforts heading toward that who was in trouble. "Just keep running!"

* * * * * *

K.H. stood his ground, watching Serangmon slowly head towards him. Kinoumon stood in front of K.H., but there was very little the Rookie level Digimon could possibly do against a Mega level Digimon. The bracelet Serangmon wore prevented Digivolving, as K.H. expected to happen.

The Angel Digimon was one step closer to fighting K.H. and his Digimon, having both his rapiers drawn and ready to shed blood.

"BOLT ORB!"

Kinoumon unleashed the ball of lightning energy at the Angel, though it did little more then annoy the Mega level Digimon. The small insect/dragon Digimon tried again, just making Serangmon even more annoyed. The Angel raised his blade when he was close enough, ready to drive the weapon through the other Digimon who was still trying to stall the Angel with his weak attacks.

"SOLAR SPARKLER!"

Serangmon thrusted one of his rapiers towards Kinoumon, but the attack was knocked off course with the golden beam of light. The weapon dug into the ground, Kinoumon falling over backwards in fright.

"K.H., Ainoko time!" Tiberius shouted from the distance, still trying to catch up with Lepumon. The Digimon dashed ahead, knowing that he and Kinoumon must be in close proximity for the Digivolve to be successful. Tiberius held his brown Digivice up in his right hand, directing it towards K.H.'s Digivice. The other teen raised his green Digivice, two beams of crimson light colliding, forming the Crest of Courage.

"Lepumon..." "Kinoumon..."

"Ainoko Digivolve to..."

"Kharygarmon!"

The massive beast toward over the Angel Digimon, but nevertheless, there was a still a level difference between the Ainoko and the Angel. Either way, both K.H. and Tiberius were glad that the battlefield was now a bit more evened.

Serangmon regarded the obviously taller Digimon, smirked, and took to the air, reeling his left hand rapier over his right arm, his right hand rapier pointed down.

"ARC WAVE!"

Serangmon swung his left blade, sending a horizontal arc of energy rippling across the sky. A second later, his right hand rapier slashed up, releasing a vertical arc of energy sailing towards Kharygarmon.

K.H. grimaced when the two waves hit, nearly toppling the beast Digimon right there.

"We're going to need a lot more help for this..." Tiberius spoke softly, watching Serangmon diving towards his temporarily stunned opponent.

"Stop right there!" Tao shouted out, throwing a Sonic Sword into the path of the diving Angel. Serangmon quickly halted and back away with amazing grace. Kharygarmon quickly shook the dizziness out of his head, watching Serangmon once more, then the small Digi-Destined by his forefoot. Harriermon joined the other two Digi-Destined away from the fighting, patiently yet anxiously waiting for Marc to show up so that the two Digimon can Ainoko Digivolve.

Tao held his sword up, watching the Angel Digimon in the air, awaiting any sort of attack. Everyone fell silent, no one making a move, the three spectators nervous on how the battle will unfold.

"INFERNAL JUDGEMENT!"

The emblem quickly formed under Kharygarmon's body, then sailed under Serangmon, unleashing a massive pillar of fire from it. The Angel quickly moved out of the way, though his right wing was partially scorched, but still useable.

"We have to try to ground him," Kharygarmon told his Human companion. Tao nodded, understanding. Limiting the Angel Digimon's movements was a clear way to even the playing field.

"That was a lucky shot," Serangmon thought, smirking. "I wasn't expecting that pillar of fire, but now I am. Just need to be prepared for the attack." He hovered backwards a few inches, preparing for attack. "They will never ground me." With that final thought, Serangmon dived down towards the two that opposed him.

* * * * * *

Toramon dashed across the field, Shastina holding on tightly. They blazed past obstacles, quickly heading towards the battlefield upon seeing the pillar of fire the blasted out.

When they entered the radius of the spire technology bracelet, Toramon reverted back to Tigramon, tossing Shastina off her back roughly with the sudden change.

"Ooow..." Shastina groaned, holding her back as she slowly got up. Tigramon was quickly by her side.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the Digimon spoke quickly and apologetically. "If I knew the spire bracelet had this range, I would've slowed down. Oh, I'm so sorry...so-" Shastina closed the Digimon's mouth with her finger, smiling lightly.

"You didn't know, so don't be so apologetic," Shastina told the Digimon, getting to her feet. "We can run from here," the Digi-Destined commented, knowing they were close. She broke into a sprint, Tigramon following beside her.

* * * * * *

Marc quickly ran onto the battlefield, Xemon in step with him. They both noted the three Digi-Destined, Harriermon, and Kharygarmon, exchanged nods, then headed their separate ways.

"Tao!" Marc shouted once he saw a pause in combat. Tao glanced back at Marc, seeing the Red Digivice in Marc's hand. Tao then glanced at Harriermon, standing closely to Xemon as the two waited anxiously.

"Alright!" Tao exclaimed, taking his Blue Digivice and pointing it in the direction of Marc's Digivice. Golden energy blasted from each item, colliding and forming the Crest of Hope, promptly sucking Harriermon and Xemon into it.

"Harriermon...." "Xemon...."

"Ainoko Digivolve to..."

"Ichidoumon!"

The dragon/eagle hybrid took to the sky quickly, catching the air current and taking a position behind the Angel Digimon. Kharygarmon remained in front and to the left of Serangmon, Tao towards the right. The three made a triangle with Serangmon in the middle of them. Serangmon continued to glance between the three, making as little movement as possible as he awaited the attacks.

"Think they can do it?" Marc asked, joining the other pair of Digi-Destined at the sidelines.

"They better," K.H. answered, watching the unmoving figures. "If they don't, then we are as good as dead..."

"Have faith, they can do it," Tiberius chimed in, trying to sound confident, but even then, the trio could tell this was going to be a difficult battle for their companions.

Quickly and mechanically, Serangmon turned around and blasted towards Ichidoumon, rapiers raised.

"HOLY BLAST!"

The breath of holy flame slammed into the Angel Digimon. Nevertheless, the Digimon soared full speed ahead through the breath, almost completely unfazed by the fires. Both blades slashed air as Ichidoumon cut his attack short, dodging the attacks.

"STORM OF FEAR!"

Purple energy needles pierced against Serangmon's back. The Angel set up his mental defences, keeping the fear inducing effects away from his heart. The armour he wore provided little protection against the energy, though it helped ease the damaging effects.

A green glow of energy darting towards him caught the Angel's attention. Tao fired a Sonic Sword attack in his direction, though it was easily repelled with a swing of Serangmon's rapier.

"DIVINE SHOCK!"

Serangmon's body was bathed in a white aura, followed by him diving down quickly towards Kharygarmon. The Digimon had little time to react against the amazing speed of the attack, the form of Serangmon invisible with the intensity of the aura around him.

Serangmon tackled the beast Digimon full force, refraining from using his blades on the dive. Even so, the attack proved enough to knock Kharygarmon onto the ground, shock waves of holy energy erupting on impact against Kharygarmon's body. There was a cry of pain before the echo of the crash blasted against everyone's eardrum. The earth rumbled violently with the impact, nearly knocking the Digi-Destined off their feet.

Tao was taken off balance with the sudden crash, driving his blade into the ground to help support his body with the quaking. The teenager looked up, seeing Serangmon blaze full speed ahead towards him, the holy aura still around his form.

The aura was suddenly cut short, Ichidoumon slamming into Serangmon with all his might. Both crashed into the ground, grass and mud flying through the air as they skidded across the dirt. Ichidoumon held the smaller form still for a temporary time, the Angel stunned from the sudden aggression on Ichidoumon's part.

"HOLY BLAST!"

The flames of holy charred the Angel, having no time to evade or brace from the flame at near point blank range. Flames ravaged the land around the Angel as did it burn the Angel himself, but the Angel endured with all his might, his eyes shut tightly and waiting. At the first sign of cool air, the Angel opened his eyes, his blade piercing the armour of the dragon/eagle Digimon. Ichidoumon reeled back, roaring in pain as Serangmon thrusted his other rapier through the armour and into the flesh of the Digimon. The grasp that held Serangmon was no more, allowing the Angel to fly back up, dragging his blade up along Ichidoumon's skin with the raise. The dragon/eagle Digimon fell back onto the ground, reverting back to the two Rookies that made it the Ultimate. Both lay on the ground, injured, but with no visible scars from the blade attacks.

Kharygarmon was still regaining his senses from the previous tackle against him, slowly getting to his feet. That left only one other person that opposed Serangmon, whom of which the Angel Digimon would soon dispatch.

The Angel dashed forward towards Tao again, hovering an inch over the ground. He slashed once with the left blade, promptly parried by Tao. With just as much speed, Serangmon right fist made contact with Tao's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Just as quickly, the left blade knocked Tao's weapon away, though the Digi-Destined still held onto it. The right hand quickly sheathed the weapon, then grabbed Tao by the collar of his shirt, flying high into the air.

"Tao..." Harriermon gasped, raising a wing towards the two in the air.

* * * * * *

'Tao!!" Shastina shouted, finally entering the battlefield. The eyes of the other Digi-Destined glanced at Shastina, then back at the sky where the Angel flew and the Human dangled. "No..." she whispered, falling to her knees, watching.

* * * * * *

"An Ultimate level Digimon could survive this fall with merely a few broken bones," Serangmon commented, holding the boy with one hand. "An 'Ultimate level Human', well, that I would like to witness."

"Go ahead, do it," Tao spat, his blade held firmly in his two hands, though he had little strength to move it. Serangmon gave him a quizzical look.

"Why are you so anxious to die?" Serangmon asked his prisoner.

"I have nothing to live for," Tao answered, glaring into Serangmon's eyes.

* * * * * *

"Tao, you can't leave me..." Shastina whispered, still watching the two. "You are my friend..."

The Crest of Friendship appeared on the top right corner of the screen on Shastina's white Digivice, emitting a faint light blue glow.

* * * * * *

"You live for those who care for you," Serangmon retorted.

"No one cares for me," Tao replied bitterly, just wanting it to end right then and there.

* * * * * *

"No, you're more then a friend to me..." Shastina sobbed, her vision becoming blurred with the tears. "You're more then I ever wished for...."

The Crest of Logic took the lower right corner of the screen on her Digivice, a faint brown glow seen to all those who would've looked.

* * * * * *

"Shastina loves you more then you ever would have known," Serangmon continued to argue.

"I wish..." Tao groaned, getting a bit weaker from how he was held in the grasp of Serangmon.

* * * * * *

"Oh Tao...I love you to the bottom of my heart..." Shastina continued to speak softly, Tigramon watching her partner intently. The words Shastina spoke were pure and truthful.

The Crest of Sincerity appeared on the bottom left hand corner of her Digivice, shining with the emerald glow of nature.

* * * * * *

"Besides, getting killed is the best way to lose this Darkness that threatens to take me again," Tao reasoned, though still angered with the delay in his own death.

"There are other methods," Serangmon told the Digi-Destined.

"Yeah, right," Tao answered. "No one wants a psycho kid who could kill them at any time as a friend. No one wants the Darkness as a friend. Just end it now, I have nothing to live for."

* * * * * *

"Tao...if I could take your spot up there, I would...." Shastina continued to speak to herself. "You don't deserve to die...after all you've done for me, for your friends, for us, you shouldn't have to die...you shouldn't...the Light should've fallen long ago..."

The Crest of Light took the final position on the top left corner of the Digivice. The pure white glow of the Crest was faint.

* * * * * *

"Being with Darkness does not mean you are evil," Serangmon told the Digi-Destined.

"Would you stop it with the lecture and just get it over with?" Tao asked harshly. "It's like you want us to survive..." Serangmon remained silent, the last sentence hitting a chord in his mind. "Fine, if you won't do it, I will!" Tao exclaimed, using the last bit of his energy and slashing with his weapon. Serangmon quickly let go of the boy, the blade smashing the bracelet around his right wrist as it came up. The boy began to fall.

"TAO!" Harriermon shouted, raising to his feet. Tao's Digivice began to go off.

"NO!" Shastina shouted next, the glow of the four Crests on her Digivice intensifying. It was then, did they notice the Digivice's power.

"Harriermon...Digivolve to...Haeromon!"

The massive bird Digimon blasted into the air, caught Tao with his talon and landed, sapping the remaining energy Harriermon had and turning him back to his Rookie once more.

Eyes fell onto Shastina though, the four Crests blasting out of her Digivice and surrounding Tigramon. The Digimon stood in the centre of the four Crests, watching, wondering what would happen.

Energy beams connected the four Crests together, super charging the Digimon.

"Tigramon...."

The beams expanded vertically, reaching towards the sky, and covering Tigramon completely behind the veil of light.

"Warp Digivolve to..."

The vertical lights moved and dissipated, revealing a 13 foot tall human like Digimon protected with a white glow. The four Crests still circled around the new Digimon. The legs were clawed. Trailing up the body, energy dissipated, revealing armour that covered the full upper body. Continuing up, a large helmet engulfed her head, only revealing the white glow of the new Digimon's eyes. The long black hair was braided, though hardly visible under the helmet. Two large blades grew out of her elbows, arched back towards the upper arms. Blades also grew on her wrists, her nails expanding to be long and claw like. Angel wings formed on her back, spreading outwards with all its splendour. The skin tone of the Digimon was pale, almost pure white.

The four Crests stopped circling the Digimon. The Crest of Logic and Light was placed against her shoulders. The Crest of Friendship took its place on the armour. The final Crest of Sincerity sat on the helmet.

"Kenokomon!"

_Kenokomon: An Angel Digimon.The ultimate contrast between beauty and grotesque. Attacks: Duo Slash, Silent Scream. A Mega level Digimon._

"It's a Mega..." Tiberius whispered, looking back up in awe. No else made a response, though they continued to watch the battle unfold, more confident now of a victory.

"ARC WAVE!"

Serangmon took no time to enjoy the sights, throwing his holy energy attacks towards the other Angel.

"DUO SLASH!"

The blades on Kenokomon's elbows charged with energy quickly, before being tossed towards the Arc Wave. Both energy attacks collided, detonating in a ball of fire power before dissipating. The attacks did little more then nullify each other.

"Kenokomon has got a chance," K.H. spoke. "With the way Kharygarmon, Ichidoumon, and Tao weakened Serangmon, our Mega should be able to do it. If not, she'll be hurting Serangmon, that's for sure."

"DIVINE SHOCK!"

The holy aura surrounded Serangmon once more, the Angel dashing towards his opponent. Kenokomon held her ground, concentrating.

"SILENT SCREAM..."

Telepathic energy entered Serangmon's mind, piercing at him with an endless scream. Serangmon was in pain, lots of it, but he held his course. Somehow, the screaming in his head didn't affect his concentration.

The two Angel collided, falling to the ground. Dirt was kicked up once more with the impact, both Angel's nearly fainting from the experience. The screaming in Serangmon's head stopped, allowing him to regain conscious faster. He got up, glanced at Kenokomon, then took off, unwilling to cause more harm to himself and the Digi-Destined. No one stopped him, all the fighters that could were either wounded or exhausted.

Kenokomon reverted back to her Rookie form. Lepumon and Kinoumon already changed back from their Ultimate. Marc had Xemon cradled in his arms, the Dragon Digimon was unconscious.

"Where's Tao?!" Shastina exclaimed, looking around for him. The other three Digi-Destined did, but found no trace of him or his Digimon.

"They must have left during the final part of the battle..." Marc spoke, sighing.

"Oh...Tao..." Shastina thought, biting her lower lip softly. "Even with the Darkness in you, you still fought for us...."

"Why can't you come back?"

Fin

****

Completed: 04/02/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	38. Episode 38-Hydra

****

Hydra

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_One Mega has come to us, using the power of all four Crests in the possession of that Digimon's partner to super charge that Digimon._

Well, if there was any debate between a Warp Digivolve or a Digivolved Ainoko, the path is clear now.

Unless it'll be a mixture of both. For all we know, the next Mega to join our ranks will be a Digivolved Ainoko.

Only time will tell.

~Diary of Marc 'Toe' Durron, fourth generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

Serangmon wrapped the bandage around his left arm, covering part of the burn marks he suffered from two Holy Blast attacks on his last encounter. His mind still hurt from the Silent Scream Kenokomon used on him, but it was beginning to clear.

"Rough battle I take it," the voice from the corner spoke. Serangmon remained silent, patting the bandages down to make sure they were secure.

"There was a Mega level Digimon in the battle," Serangmon replied finally, tossing the roll of bandages onto the desk.

"Ahh..." the figure mused. "So, your methods are working."

"Let's hope it's fast enough to prepare the Digi-Destined for the upcoming battles," Serangmon spoke. He touched an angel feather on his wing. The feather was charred black from Kharygarmon's fire attack.

"They will have a few more Mega level Digimon before you know it," the figure replied. "It follows a pattern: when one of them can hit a new level, the others will soon follow." Serangmon wasn't really paying attention, watching the outside through the windows. His thoughts were wondering, and the figure knew what the Angel was thinking.

"They died in a noble cause," the figure spoke, referring to all those deleted so far in the previous battles. "We'll be sure to reconfigure them for their deeds, do no worry." Serangmon saw truth in the words, but they felt hollow and empty despite that truth behind it.

"Noble, yes," Serangmon thought, sighing. "But if they do not succeed, then it will all be in vain..."

* * * * * *

Evertymon raced through the skies, Tao holding onto the back of the aerial Digimon.

"I'm guessing we're intentionally staying away from the others," Evertymon spoke out. The rushing wind didn't prevent communication between the two.

"If I go in some murderous mood again, I don't want to be near them when it happens," Tao answered, sighing. "And I know you can fly away from me when that happens."

"Maybe it won't happen," Evertymon suggested hopefully.

"Even if it doesn't..." Tao muttered, barely audible. "The others don't need me. I got them almost killed once before, they don't need me making that chance again."

"Well, I wouldn't say 'them', I'd say _her_," Evertymon replied in a half joking tone. Tao sighed, recalling what happened on that day when he was supposed to die. Shastina was given 72 hours before her death, all for the sake of Tao.

From that day, the boy hated himself for being weak and unable to defend his friends. From that day, he realised the others didn't need someone as weak as him around.

"No matter how hard I train, I'll never be strong enough to re-join them," Tao thought, closing his eyes. "I can get better, but I'll never reach expectations."

Evertymon continued to blaze a trail through the air, far surpassing the range the Digivice can detect other Digi-Destined.

* * * * * *

Millenimon landed onto the ground, Evertymon far out of range of Marc's Digivice. The avian Digimon took with him the person that Marc wished to speak too.

"Well, we tried," Marc told his Digimon, patting the dragon on the back before disembarking. Energy surrounded the Digimon as his form shrunk, reverting back to his Rookie form of Xemon.

"I guess he still doesn't want to be found...." Xemon replied, lowering his head disappointedly.

"I just wish I knew clearly why he doesn't want to come back," Marc responded. "I got an idea about why he won't, but I don't want to speak my mind until I know for sure."

"Well, what's your theory?" Xemon inquired, curious. Marc glanced down at the Digimon, exhaled, then told his little thought.

"Tao doesn't feel worthy," Marc spoke. "If you've noticed, he runs away because he says that we don't need him around, mainly blaming his own weakness on what happened to Shastina."

"The fact still remains that maybe he isn't so weak as he thinks," Marc continued. "Maybe he doesn't realise it, but I think he is running away from the entire problem. Even so, the need to help his friends overrides his retreat, henceforth his assistance every so often in the most dire of situations."

Xemon whistled, impressed with the insight.

"Eh, that's what happens when your friends with that kid for more then three years," Marc answered, grinning. "He's never been very confident in his own abilities," Marc answered seriously. "Guess the fact he wasn't able to protect Shastina caused him to jump the line."

"You mean he snapped?" Xemon asked. Marc nodded slowly, sighing.

"He's had a lot of talk about suicide, but I never took it seriously," Marc told his Digimon, kneeling down. "I think those thoughts are still there, and they're burning stronger then ever."

"He doesn't like that Darkness in him," Marc spoke, patting Xemon on the head. "Let's hope that doesn't throw him over the edge." Xemon nodded his agreement. He didn't like the fact that Tao would want to die, and now wanted to help Marc more then ever to find Tao.

"Hope is what we have," Xemon spoke jokingly in an effort to lift the seriousness of the situation. Marc understood the Digimon was referring to the Crest of Hope he possessed, but he didn't laugh or chuckle. "Well, I tried," Xemon whispered disappointedly.

* * * * * *

Tao disembarked from his Digimon, letting the Ultimate rest for a bit. In a flash, Evertymon was back to his Rookie form of Harriermon. The two remained silent as they sat down and rested on top of the hill.

"Tao..." Harriermon spoke, shattering the silence. The teenager glanced at his partner, the side of the sword tapping slowly against his shoulder. "Will I ever hit the Mega stage?"

Tao stopped tapping the blade against his shoulder, staring at his Digimon now. The Digi-Destined awaited an explanation from Harriermon about his doubts.

"The Crest of Light isn't really Light anymore..." Harriermon explained, knowing what his partner wanted. "And the Crest of Love hasn't shined since your hatred was released that time ago."

"No, Love hasn't shined since that day," Tao thought, placing his weapon flat against the ground. "And the Light has become Darkness under my possession," he continued, sighing. "I was always tormented like this, and even to this day, it has yet to slow down, yet alone stop."

"Tao?" Harriermon asked, a bit scared when Tao didn't respond. The boy glanced at his Digimon, forcing a smile.

"Have faith, it'll come," Tao answered, sounding calm. His mind raged with pessimistic thoughts, however, too many to list. The two remained silent once more, continuing the rest and think.

* * * * * *

Marc sighed, raising his cup to his lips and sipping the warm coffee. Xemon sat on the bench beside him, also sipping his own cup. Marc watched customers pass by, some disposing their garbage and leaving, others setting their tray down and settling in at a table to enjoy their meal.

Marc sat at the table in the corner, the desk and his body preventing Xemon from being exposed to the public. Once more, the boy took a sip from his drink.

"Marc Durron?" the voice asked. Marc looked up at the new comer, a boy no older then he is. He had black hair with white streaks and black eyes. The teenager also wore black jeans and a red T-shirt.

"Yes, that's me," Marc answered, setting his cup down. The teen nodded, sitting down. He placed a backpack onto the spot beside him. Marc could've sworn he heard noises from inside, but decided he was just going crazy. "Who are you?"

"Just call me Imperial Wrath," the teen answered. Marc gave him a questioning look, but nodded. Imperial placed his left hand onto the table, revealing a watch of sorts around his wrist. It was dark blue, and Marc though the design looked familiar. He glanced down at his own watch, finding the design of his new watch and Imperial's watch very similar, though Imperial's device looked technologically more advanced. There was a larger screen on the teen's watch, plus it showed just more then time.

"Is that a Crest?" Marc thought, though on cue, the picture faded from the screen. Marc sighed, and gazed into the eyes of the boy. "What do you want?" Marc asked.

"I come with a message," Imperial spoke softly, lowering his voice. He pressed closer to the table, as did Marc to hear the boy better.

"Today, you'll be facing a battle that can cost you your life," Imperial spoke. "You must have hope if you want Xemon to reach his strongest stage." Marc reeled back with the mention of Xemon, surprised that the boy knew. Imperial nodded once more, taking his bag and standing back up.

"We will meet again, do not worry," Imperial told Marc, leaving.

"Xemon..." Marc spoke quickly, though the Digimon understood, entering the bag they used as transportation. Zipping it up quickly, Marc shouldered the bag and followed Imperial. The Digi-Destined wasn't sure if Imperial knew he was following him.

Imperial turned into the park across the street. Marc followed him stealthily yet quickly. It went on for ten minutes, until Imperial turned into a dead end alley.

"What do you me-" Marc was about to ask, but stopped and fell silent, seeing Imperial no more in the alley. He vanished when Marc turned to look in.

"What the hell?" Marc thought, shaking his head. "Maybe I am losing it..." he muttered, unzipping his bag slightly for Xemon to get some air.

"I take it he's gone," Xemon inquired. Marc didn't need to reply, the answer was quite obvious.

Without warning, as usual, Marc's Digivice began to go off. The teen didn't need to look at the item in his hand, it was quite clear what will happen when the Digivice was reacting like that.

* * * * * *

"Legionarimon, Digivolve!!" K.H. shouted out, raising his Digivice, the Crest of Love shining brightly.

"Legionarimon...Digivolve to...Aikoumon!"

The humanoid Digimon with wings took to the sky, colliding head on with the opposing Digimon. With on swift downward kick, Aikoumon was back on the ground, face first.

"There's no way Aikoumon can take on Kuramon alone..." K.H. hissed to himself, holding the Digivice tightly. "The damn Digimon is a Mega for crying out loud...even with three Ultimate, this will still be trouble..." K.H. cursed slightly, watching Aikoumon get back to his feet and dash towards Kuramon.

Kuramon, a Mega level Digimon, was a hunch-backed beast with tanned yellow skin and lots of fur. His claws were able to cut through Aikoumon's armour like it was nothing. On the Digimon's back was a pair of wings, one of pitch-black angel winds, the other as crimson clad daemon wings.

The two Digimon locked hands, both trying to get the upper hand over the other. Claws shinned in the afternoon sun, making it difficult for K.H. to watch the battle.

Kuramon quickly got the upper hand over his Ultimate level adversary, tossing Aikoumon back into the ground, back first this time.

"DUAL WING!"

Kuramon hovered a bit higher into the air, then flapped both pairs of conflicting wings together, sparking a gray ray of energy in an X shaped form at Aikoumon.

With insane speed, Crysdramon was in between Aikoumon and the Dual Wing attack, setting up a Sonic Shield attack.

The X energy pushed against the barrier, straining Crysdramon as he tried to maintain hold on the shield. Cracks were slowly forming in the energy.

With his last ounce of strength, Crysdramon pushed the Dual Wing attack away, exhausting him. Aikoumon got to his feet, nodding in thanks and facing Kuramon.

"Never give up," Crysdramon spoke, unable to hold the form with the massive energy lose on holding the Sonic Shield. Xemon quickly stepped away from the from the battleground.

"Well, so much for that idea," Marc spoke softly, joining K.H. at the sidelines. His tone was clearly away from the cheerful optimistic one that K.H. always knew.

"Something the matter, Marc?" K.H. asked, taking his attention away from the battle.

"We ain't going to win this...." Marc spoke after a long silence. Aikoumon was holding his own quite well despite being outmatched.

"W-what do ya mean?" K.H. asked quickly, unsure if he heard right. "The holder of Hope is talking like this?!" K.H. thought, unable to believe it.

"I don't need to repeat myself," Marc spoke softly, sighing. "We ain't going to win."

"How can you say that?!" K.H. exclaimed. If this was Tao, he could believe it, sort of, but this is Marc, always the one talking about optimism.

"Kuramon is a Mega level Digimon, in comparison to Aikoumon as an Ultimate," Marc spoke, holding his Digivice. The Crest of Knowledge glowed softly on his screen.

"We've been through tougher situations!" K.H. protested.

"We weren't alone during those times," Marc spoke softly, somehow calm. "We had friends, lots of them..." The Crest of Friendship slowly began to glow in the Digivice.

"So, what do you propose we do?" K.H. asked, calming down partially. Marc glanced at Xemon, the dragon Digimon watching the battling unfold.

"Go with Aikoumon and get the hell out of here," Marc answered. "Me and Xemon can hold him off for a bit." Marc's Crest of Reliability began to glow in a faint gray colour.

"You crazy?!" K.H. exploded, unable to contain it. "Tao has been getting to you, you're beginning to talk just like him!"

"Heh, that's what you get when you know that kid for three years," Marc replied sarcastically. "Now go." K.H. held his ground, clutching his fist tightly. "Go..." Marc ordered, not turning to face K.H.

"No," K.H. responded. Marc looked over at the other Digi-Destined. "I won't leave you," K.H. continued, uncurling his fist.

"Listen, we're going to die if we both stay here," Marc told his friend.

"Then you go," K.H. responded, forcing the words out. "I already have the Ultimate level Digimon fighting. You should go now and not look back." Marc gazed into K.H.'s eyes, seeing how serious the teenager was.

"Then we die together," Marc spoke calmly, unfazed with those words.

"You crazy...!" K.H. spoke, unable to finish. Marc didn't respond, not even look at his companion.

K.H., fed up now, punched Marc in the face, nearly knocking the boy down in surprise. Marc held the soreness in his face, staring at K.H. in disbelief. Xemon watched the two, shocked with K.H.'s sudden outbreak.

"You can't give up!" K.H. shouted, grabbing Marc by the collar of his shirt. "The Crest of Hope is with you! Tao lost the shine in his once, you can't afford to do the same!"

"K.H...." Marc spoke softly, still partially stunned by K.H.'s sudden aggressive act.

"Do you just want to die?!" K.H. argued. "Without even trying?! We have a job to do in this world, and if you keep thinking like that, we won't get anywhere! The group is already strained enough with Tao's refusal to join us, we can't afford to lose another!"

Marc sighed, pulling himself away from K.H. The boy turned back to witness the battle, watching Aikoumon slowly lose energy from the constant assault.

"What was it Imperial said?" Marc asked himself, still watching. "...have...hope...?" Marc glanced at Xemon. He noticed the Dragon Digimon was watching him intently.

"Have...hope...." Marc repeated to himself, biting his lower lip. "That's what Imperial said..."

_"Marc…take care of Shas for me…"_

Marc replayed that line, a line Tao told him after they defeated Axeramon. He had a responsibility now, and he couldn't let his friend down. Tao trusted him, Marc had the Crest of Reliability, and he couldn't let his friend down.

"Have hope," Marc thought once more, closing his eyes. "I have to have hope...everyone is counting on me...now more then ever. I have to survive this encounter..."

"I must...have...hope..."

Marc's Digivice charged with energy, the Crest of Hope shining brighter then ever before. His four Crests blasted out of his Digivice, surrounding Xemon.

"Xemon...Warp Digivolve to..."

The four Crests surrounding him formed arced energy beams, covering the Digimon completely under the glow. Slowly, the oval energy shrunk, before expanding again quickly, the orb breaking apart. In its place was a crimson scaled body. Four long appendages grew out of the front, followed with heads on each appendage. The necks twirled around, then unwound, one Crest appearing on each forehead of the dragon. Dragon wings sprouted from the back of the new Digimon.

"Hydramon!"

"Well, it's a Hydra...I'll give it that much..." K.H. commented, watching the new Mega level Digimon. Aikoumon broke off from the combat, landing beside K.H. and reverting back to the Rookie stage. Kinoumon collapsed into a heap, exhausted.

"HOLY BEAM!"

Pure white energy lashed out from the dragon head with the Crest of Hope on his forehead. Kuramon banked left, but the blast clipped his two left wings, sending him plummeting to the ground.

"HYDRO BEAM!"

The dragon head with the Crest of Reliability was now in action, blasting Kuramon with a waterfall of water energy. At the same time, the dragon head with the Crest of Knowledge made his move.

"ELECTRIC BEAM!"

The volts of electricity blasted upstream the Hydro Beam, compounding the damage as both beams continued to hit home against the mutated Digimon. To finish it off, the dragon head with the Crest of Friendship attacked.

"ICE BEAM!"

In the already soaked condition, Ice energy sprayed all over Kuramon, freezing his lower body into the ground. Struggle as he might, the Digimon couldn't escape the ice prison Hydramon made for him.

"CONVERGING WRATH!"

All four heads on the Hydra Digimon pointed towards the same point in the air, firing their beams out. Slowly, a sphere of power formed, a mixture of all four elements in one. Kuramon continued to struggle, eyes wide at the ball forming in front of him.

"Say good night," Marc whispered, smirking.

The ball of energy was released, heading straight towards Kuramon. The Digimon screamed in shock, but it was quickly silenced when the blast pressed against him. Ice shards flew everywhere as the ice prison was shattered. The Digimon was no where to be seen, though the two Digi-Destined assumed Kuramon was turned into data.

* * * * * *

The Darkness sighed, witnessing the fall of another Digimon.

"It's hard to find help these days," the Darkness spoke to himself. "When I become whole again, and when I'm free from this infernal prison, I'll be sure to make those Digi-Destined suffer..."

Fin

****

Completed: 04/05/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	39. Episode 39-Armoured Mega

****

Armoured Mega

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_The fact remains that Mega level Digimon are a result of each of the Crests we possess. The Warp Digivolve uses all the Crests we have to achieve the level of Mega. Theoretically, our Mega should have the power of at least four Ultimates, assuming each Crest power is an Ultimate level._

'Assuming' being the keyword here. Our Mega level Digimon so far has yet to have a field test against another four Ultimates, so we don't know for sure what our Mega level Digimon are capable of. We just know they are good at pounding other Megas.

Hopefully, we have enough power already to defeat Serangmon...hopefully...

~Diary of Tiberius 'GTK' Hartz, fourth generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

Tao dashed forward, twirling the weapon in his right hand once before his blade collided with the blade of the black winged Celeaglemon. Tao grunted, a bit shocked by the recoil of the collide, though he grew accustomed with the weapon now.

Breaking away, Tao swung his blade around the other side, using his whole body as momentum for the weapon. Once more, steel clashed, Celeaglemon stepping back to compensate his balance with the sudden attack.

Tao quickly pulled back, then stepped forward once more, thrusting his blade towards Celeaglemon's midsection. The Angel Digimon quickly swatted the blade away, not wanting anything to puncture his skin.

"Tao, wake up!" Celeaglemon shouted, holding back. The simple training exercise the committed to was becoming a real battle. "His blows are with hatred," Celeaglemon thought, glancing at his dark wings. "Has the Darkness consumed him again? Oh please...don't say that..."

The Digi-Destined grinned menacingly, stepping forward and raising his weapon. Before he could swing, the boy paused, dropping the blade onto the ground.

He screamed out in pain, holding his head and falling to his knees, nearly in tears. He continued to cry in agony, his Digivice falling out of his pocket and onto the ground. The screams slowly subsided, the boy falling into a heap on the ground, unconscious. Celeaglemon made no move, only watched in shock.

During that time, the Digivice grew brightly, both pitch dark light and flooding luminescence blasting from the item. The light subsided when Tao fell over, revealing the Crest of Hope on one side of the screen. The former Crest of Light was on the other side, now blacked beyond recognition. The name of 'Light' would well be revoked, both the Digi-Destined and the Digimon agreeing it would be better for the Crest to be known as the Crest of Darkness.

"The Darkness smothered the Light," Celeaglemon spoke softly. "And now, it wants Tao to embrace it..."

"I just pray the Crest of Hope can keep the Darkness away from my partner..." the Angel Digimon thought, sitting down and watching over the unconscious Digi-Destined.

* * * * * *

"Hmm...Hope is stronger then I thought..." the Darkness mused, watching the Angel Digimon who's wings were black and the unconscious boy by the Digimon's side.

"Turning Light into Darkness was already consuming enough for me, but now I must destroy Hope..." the Darkness thoughts, sighing. "This infernal prison is limiting my powers greatly. Oh, when I absorb enough energy from the Digital World...they will suffer...all of them..."

The Darkness glanced back at the two companions on the ground.

"At least I know this Digi-Destined will never go back to his companions as long as he is under my influence...A nice thought until I can finally destroy everything..."

* * * * * *

Tiberius typed rapidly on the keyboard, uploading a map of the Digital World onto his computer. He was working on Yasmine's computer, as guests his parents had over occupied his residence.

"What's that?" Yasmine asked, pointing towards the one and only flashing sector on the map.

"That's Serangmon's abode," Tiberius informed, enlarging that sector. There was an exterior view of the sector, as though a satellite were staring down at that specific area.

"Are you planning to storm it?" Botanimon asked, clambering on top of Yasmine to get a view of the screen.

"We wish," Lepumon muttered, seeing the screen well enough from his position on the ground.

"What do you mean?" the older Digi-Destined asked.

"He means this," Tiberius responded, pressing a few more buttons. All around the abode were red dots, many of them. They flooded the screen, almost turning the screen into bright crimson.

"What are those?" Yasmine asked, still a bit confused.

"Digimon, traps, sentries, the works," Lepumon spoke half sarcastically.

"That's pretty much what we need to go through to hit Serangmon himself," Tiberius reinforced. "We're going to be hard pressed if we want to make it in there with near full energy."

"I see..." Yasmine mused, watching the red dots flash on and off. Botanimon whispered something in her partner's ears. The Digi-Destined nodded in agreement.

"When's the next time you plan to go back to the Digital World?" Yasmine inquired.

"When ever we're needed, I guess," Tiberius responded, staring questionably at the older Digi-Destined.

"I need you to take us there," Yasmine ordered, not requested. Tiberius nodded slowly, unsure what his older companion wanted, but didn't protest either. "Don't ask why, it'll all be explained in due time." Tiberius nodded once more, understanding the instructions.

"Sometimes, it's best not to tread on other people's business," Tiberius thought, noticing the seriousness on Yasmine's face.

* * * * * *

Marc sat beside Shastina, the two watching the sunrise in the Digital World. Both Digi-Destined decided they needed to get their mind off things and decided to head into the Digital World at the same time, meeting up coincidentally. It was dark when they exited the Digital Portal.

Their Digimon slept peacefully under one of the trees nearby, tired from lack of sleep the night before.

"It's so beautiful," Shastina spoke softly.

"Yes, it is," Marc agreed, watching the sun too.

"If only it wasn't so bright, it'd be easier to watch," Shastina commented, squinting her eyes as well as placing a hand over them to see better. Marc had an easier time, his shades blocking out some of the rays.

He glanced over at Shastina, seeing her difficulty at watching. Marc lowered his head, then removed his shades and offered them to Shastina.

"Wha?" Shastina spoke, surprised. She scanned the shades, then shook her head. "No, it's alright, you can wear them."

"I insist," Marc spoke. Shastina shook her head again. The other Digi-Destined sighed, then purposely placed the shades over Shastina's eyes.

"Eep!" Shastina exclaimed, surprised. She was about to remove the shades, but then decided against it. The sun was a nice thing to watch after all. "Thank you, Marc."

"No problem," Marc answered, smiling. The two continued to watch, Marc making no protested to the glaring rays.

Unconditionally, Shastina pulled a bit closer to Marc, shivering to the cold wind. Well, that's what Shastina thought, though it wasn't so cold at that time of day.

The female Digi-Destined yawned, slowly placing her head against Marc's shoulder. The male teenager was surprised with the sudden weight on his shoulder, and when he checked to see what happened, Shastina was already peacefully asleep.

"Err..." Marc muttered, unsure what to do. "Great, now it looks like I'm hitting on my best friend's girlfriend..." the boy whispered, not wanting to wake Shastina. He continued to watch the sunrise, making sure not to move much as he didn't want to wake the sleeping teen.

* * * * * *

The Darkness now turned his attention on the two Digi-Destined admiring the sunrise. Those two were pretty much on the other side of the Digital World from Tao was, hence the fact that there was already light for Tao and just starting to get light over there.

"Hmm...the two are getting close," the Darkness thought, seeing how this could help him in his plans. "Very close...close to make a certain someone else jealous..."

"It's nice to see how this all works out in the end," the Darkness told himself, preparing for his next move. This opportunity provided the perfect catalyst to spark Tao's Darkness.

* * * * * *

"Tiberius, can I ask you something?" Yasmine asked her companion, the two walking side by side. Their Digimon trailed behind, admiring the sights.

"Sure. What's on your mind?" Tiberius replied, still looking ahead. The party pressed on through the Digital World, though Tiberius knew Yasmine wanted to go her separate way. She was planning something, as far as Tiberius could tell.

"Have you...ever been afraid...?" Yasmine asked, trying to find the right words.

"Of course," the answer came without stagger. "Everyone has been afraid one time in their life."

"I guess I should ask...afraid in the Digital World?" Yasmine rephrased, not turning to face the other Digi-Destined.

"I...don't understand what you're asking," was the response.

"You have the Crest of Courage...is there anything you fear in the Digital World?"

"Everything," Tiberius answered, still walking. "Anything can happen here, but just as anything bad can happen, anything good can happen as well."

"Aren't you worried about death?" Yasmine inquired, still staggering to get the words out. Tiberius didn't answer, nor did he have the intention of answering. All he knew was, in his mind, he didn't have any idea if he was afraid or not.

"Courage works in warped ways," Tiberius finally answered, avoiding answering the question served to him directly.

"You didn't answer my question," Yasmine remarked.

"I didn't want to answer it," Tiberius admitted, a bit disappointed in his own approach to it.

"I figure you didn't want to answer it," Yasmine countered, smiling a light. Tiberius smiled back, still walking down the path they were taking before.

"So, what are your plans in the Digital World?" Tiberius asked, wanting to change the subject.

"You'll see," Yasmine answered, smirking. She checked her watch, calculated the new time, then nodded. "You'll see when the time comes, and it will be coming soon, don't worry." She was no extremely serious, beckoning Botanimon to catch up.

"You leaving?" Tiberius asked, halting. Yasmine nodded.

"Don't try to find us when you need to go back to the Real World, we'll be very busy for the next few days," Yasmine told Tiberius.

"With what?" the boy asked, now curious about the older Digi-Destined's motives.

"Like I said, you'll see!" Yasmine exclaimed, running off, Botanimon following close behind her. Soon, the two were out of sight.

"And ideas?" Lepumon asked, approaching Tiberius.

"None," was the response given to the Digimon.

* * * * * *

Tao slowly awakened from his unconscious state, groaning in pain. Harriermon quickly helped to boy to his feet, making sure there were no murderous intentions in the boy's eyes.

"Did I...did I do it again?" Tao groaned, taking the fallen blade from the ground once he got to his feet. Harriermon nodded slowly, causing his partner to sigh. "I hate this Darkness...whatever it may be..." Tao spoke softly, looking down at his Digimon. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't be," Harriermon quickly interrupted. "You can't control it. We just need to find a way to purge this Darkness from you."

"Purge, heh," Tao muttered, jamming the blade into the ground. "Good luck...to purge this Darkness is to purge my soul."

"There's another way to do it instead of you dying," Harriermon fought, or tired to fight with.

"Heh, we wish...we really wish..." Tao muttered, taking his weapon again.

"If that's the case, then why don't you just kill yourself?" Harriermon choked out, almost unable to say the words. Tao remained silent, wondering that about himself as well.

"There's nothing worth living for," Tao thought. "So...why do I wish to stay alive...?"

* * * * * *

Tiberius still wasn't sure what he was looking for in the Digital World, all he knew was that his Digivice summoned him here.

"Maybe we have to defeat Serangmon now!" Lepumon spoke, enthusiastically and half jokingly.

"Probably not," Tiberius responded, continuing down the unknown path. "Even with a full team of Mega level Digimon, we'll still have difficulty punching through that kind of defence."

"I wasn't being completely serious," Lepumon retorted, sighing.

"You sure sounded serious," Tiberius answered, continuing to walk ahead. His mind was still rattled by Yasmine's last question before she departed.

__

"Aren't you worried about death?"

"I dunno," Tiberius thought, the question recurring in his mind. "We've seen so much near death before. Shastina nearly died on those three days. Tao 'died', then came back to us."

"We've had so many close scrapes," Tiberius mind said, the boy closing his eyes. "It'll only be a matter of time before one of us will...never come back..."

"Tibbs?" Lepumon asked, breaking Tiberius train of thought. The teenager opened his eyes, stopped in his tracks, glanced down at his Digimon, and then forced a smile from his features.

"Something the matter?" the boy asked his Digimon, trying to sound as cheerful and calm as possible.

"Yeah," the Digimon answered. "I'm worried about you," the Digimon admitted after a long period of silence.

"About me?" Tiberius asked, surprised. "What for?"

"You had this strange look on your face..." Lepumon answered softly after a half a minute of staring at his partner. "Maybe I'm just hallucinating...don't mind me..." the Digimon continued afterwards, continuing to walk down the trail. Tiberius stood still, surprised at his partner's insight.

"You aren't hallucinating," Tiberius thought, lowering his head. "I was deep in thought, and if you remembered what Yasmine asked...you should know what is bothering," he concluded, sighing, then catching up with his partner.

Tiberius' Digivice began to go off, indicating the presence of another Digi-Destined nearby.

* * * * * *

Tao stepped back, as did Celeaglemon, backing away from the Digimon that now faced them in what was obviously a fight to the death.

Karitemon, a Mega level Digimon faced off with them. The Digimon had very little to saw about his appearance. If any Digimon looked like the grim reaper, this Digimon fit the description nicely. He even had a bloodied scythe for the occasion.

"Give me your souls..." Karitemon spoke, his voice hollow and ghostly. He raised his arm, though the arm was unseen under the large black robes he wore.

"You're going to have to take it!" Tao spat, reading his weapon. Celeaglemon agreed heartily, also raising his weapon.

"You have to admit," Celeaglemon whispered, just loud enough for Tao to hear. "For an Angel Digimon, he sure knows how to send many devil Digimon against us..."

"I don't think Serangmon is sending these Digimon," Tao replied equally as soft.

"What do you mean?" Celeaglemon asked, watching the grim reaper Digimon get closer. "If it isn't him, then who?"

"Dunno, I just know it's not Serangmon," Tao answered, leaping out of the way when Karitemon slashed at the two with his scythe. Celeaglemon took to the sky, the blade narrowly missing his legs. The blade of Celeaglemon charged with Holy energy.

"CELESTIAL CHARGE!"

A blast of Holy energy erupted from the weapon, obviously directed towards the Digimon holding the scythe.

"DEATH STRIKE!"

Black aura surrounded the scythe. With one strong slash, Celeaglemon's attack disintegrated on impact against the curved blade. At the exact same time, a arc of black energy blasted from the blade towards Celeaglemon.

The dark winged angel reeled back to block the blow, though Tao did the work for him. An emerald energy attack collided with the Death Strike attack, knocking the unholy energy off course. The Sonic Sword was dissipated, the Death Strike flying into the horizon.

* * * * * *

"Get down!" Lepumon shouted, knocking Tiberius out of the way. The instant the two were on the ground, a black energy blast smashed through the ground where Tiberius used to stand. Both Digimon and Digi-Destined got back up, watching the battle unfold between the grim reaper Digimon and the other two fighters.

"Come on, let's get in there!" Lepumon urged. "We can't leave them like that!" Tiberius didn't answer, he remained stunned on the spot, the question of death appearing in his mind. Before him was the apparition of death.

"It's still a Mega level Digimon..." Tiberius finally spoke, out of his trance. His Crest of Knowledge was on his screen, the boy contemplating whether to let the Digimon enter the fray.

"Mega?! Who cares?! They need us!" Lepumon exclaimed.

"I...I don't want to see you hurt..." Tiberius spoke to the Digimon, lowering his Digivice. "I don't want to see you die..." he meant to say, but didn't want to say it. The emerald colour of the Crest of Sincerity glowed on his Digivice.

"We always get hurt!" Lepumon shouted, frustrated now. "But unless we help our friends, we may never see them again!"

"A general can't lead his army without soldiers," Tiberius thought, closing his eyes. "We can't afford to lose anymore, or else we'll never break into that fort..." The Crest of Leadership grew brighter in its dark splendour on the Digivice.

"Tiberius, don't tell me you're afraid," Lepumon spoke softly, calming down.

"I am afraid..." Tiberius thought. "I don't want to see death, I don't want to see anyone of my friends come to death..."

"I don't want death to be upon me..." Tiberius admitted. Lepumon walked closer to his partner.

"Unless you have the courage to help, we will keep seeing Death until either we win, or they win," Lepumon argued softly, placing a hand on Tiberius' leg. "And if you don't want your friends to die, you must have the courage to step into the battlefield," Lepumon spoke, pointing towards the battle. Tiberius stood still, frightened, yet he knew what he had to do.

"Alright, let's go," the Digi-Destined spoke, stepping forward. His Crest of Courage glowed brightly, intensifying. Four streaks of energy erupted from his Digivice, each energy streak carrying a colour similar to his Crests. The four energy streaks spiralled around Lepumon.

"Lepumon...Warp Digivolve to..."

Lepumon's became energy. The energy slowly stretched upwards into something eight feet tall. Slowly, energy became matter. The legs of the new Digimon were clearly rabbit like. Travelling up, the matter formed became silver amour. Upon reaching the head, a silver helmet was made with a black visor. Bunny ears were tied back outside the helmet. The four streaks of energy continued to circle around. The purple streak of Knowledge smashed against the breastplate of the Digimon's armour, embedding the Crest of Knowledge. Both the emerald streak of Sincerity and the black streak of Leadership circled around the shoulders, embedding into the shoulder pads and making their Crests. Finally, the crimson streak of Courage circled all around the Digimon and stopped by his hand, flashing in energy. The light died down, revealing a long broad sword in the Digimon's hand. On the hilt of the weapon was the symbol for Courage.

"Avengemon!"

_Avengemon: A rabbit Digimon. The armour clad Digimon is extremely resilient to attacks. Attacks: Akari Blade, Ankoku Blade. A Mega level Digimon._

Tiberius lowered his Digivice upon reading the description of this eight-foot monster of rabbit with armour. Avengemon nodded, then dashed off into the battle.

* * * * * *

"Well, it looks like we got help," Celeaglemon spoke, landing beside Tao, weapon still ready. The Digimon and his Digi-Destined partner watched Avengemon dash in, Tiberius watching the new Mega level Digimon closely.

"ANKOKU BLADE!"

Dark energy charged up in Avengemon's blade before being released at Karitemon.

"DEATH STRIKE!"

The dark energy collided with the unholy energy in the grim reaper's scythe. Both energy types were nullified on impact. Avengemon didn't stop there though, continuing to rush forward.

"He's got it in the bag," Tao spoke, turning away. "Let's go."

"AKARI BLADE!"

Avengemon's weapon charged with light energy this time, the weapon glowing brightly.

"DEATH STRIKE!"

Karitemon raised his weapon, the blade taking that unholy glow once more. He was about to drive it into Avengemon's back if it where for the fact the shaft was cut off by Avengemon's weapon. Swinging the sword around, Avengemon then jammed the blade into the body of the grim reaper. The Digimon cried in pain.

"Death awaits you," Avengemon spoke softly, releasing the energy stored in his weapon. Blinding light emerged from the body, the robes slowly disintegrating. Everyone had to cover their eyes.

Bits of data that was left of Karitemon fell to the ground. Beside the bits of data sat Lepumon, exhausted, but glad of his accomplishment.

Tao and Celeaglemon were no where to be seen.

Fin

****

Completed: 04/07/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	40. Episode 40-Mirror

****

Mirror

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

__

If what Tiberius says is true, we're going to need a lot of help to bust into Serangmon's fortress. Even if the remaining four of us had a Mega level Digimon, and Tao decided to join us, AND if Harriermon could also Warp Digivolve to a Mega, we'd still have plenty of trouble getting in.

Then again, we don't know what Yasmine is planning either. She's still in the Digital World with Botanimon.

I sure hope those two know what they're doing...whatever it is ...

~Diary of K.H. 'Nobie' Lai, fourth generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

Serangmon watched the recording of the last battle the Digi-Destined fought. The grim reaper Digimon was quickly struck down by Avengemon. In the ensuing light, both Mega level Digimon disappeared. Only one Digimon remained after the fight.

"It seems they are getting stronger by themselves," Serangmon commented, shutting down the recording.

"We have to be thankful he is as arrogant as he was before," was the reply from the shadows.

"That, I am inclined to agree," the Angel Digimon responded. "Sending only one Digimon at a time will prove to be a fatal mistake for him."

"You will have to intervene if things get out of hand, however," the figure told the Angel.

"I know," Serangmon responded, standing still.

"Something on your mind, old friend?" the figure in the shadows asked, 'tilting' his head to the side.

"He's got the power to rally forces...which means he's got enough power to communicate outside his prison..." Serangmon spoke softly. "It won't be lo-"

"No, something else is on your mind," the figure interrupted, realigning his head to be straight. Serangmon sighed, knowing he couldn't get anything past his compatriot.

"Not dying really isn't an option, is it?" the Angel asked, glancing back at the figure. There was a strange and ominous silence in the room, neither making a move, neither saying a word.

* * * * * *

Tiberius lowered his binoculars, watching the home of Serangmon from a far distance away.

"Two sentries guarding the front," the Digi-Destined told his companion. K.H. jotted down the notes on a pad. "They just did a shift change," Tiberius commented.

"Four hour interval," Lepumon spoke out, looking up from the watch he held in his hand.

"And countless patrols around the perimeter," Kinoumon added. K.H. jotted the notes down, pulling the map of the scanned area Tiberius printed out for them to analyse.

"Which concludes to...!" K.H. spoke in a game show like voice. "We got no chance of getting in."

"Yeah, then you add those auto guns and traps to the calculations," Kinoumon spoke, also in the same sarcastic tone as his partner. "And we have _less _then no chance of getting in."

"We have such _great _optimism in our little planning," Lepumon responded bitterly.

"Enough with the sarcasm already," Tiberius groaned, donning his binoculars again. "Windows guarded by bars...roof cameras...Serangmon doesn't want anyone getting in, that's for sure."

"If he wanted someone to get in, he'd have some big red sign saying 'Enter Here' on his front lawn," K.H. spoke. Tiberius lowered his binoculars and gaze K.H. a look that could freeze the walking dead. K.H. placed a hand on his chin and simulated keeping his mouth closed.

Tiberius sighed, turning his attention back towards the house of Serangmon. It would be better suited to be described as the fortress mansion of the Angel Digimon. The building must be big enough to house various sizes of various levels of Digimon, hence the amount of patrols of different sized Digimon around.

"Where do they come in and out?" Tiberius muttered under his breath, scanning the area for any such possible passageways. "They're well hidden, I'll give it that much..."

"What are you looking for, Tibbs?" Lepumon inquired, standing beside his partner.

"I don't know..." the Digi-Destined answered, still scanning the area with his binoculars. His view went up into one the larger windowed doors facing the balcony of the house. Tiberius refocused the lens, making sure he saw what he thought he saw.

"I don't suppose we have some Anti-Matter Digital Long Distance Molecular Disrupter Rifle like weapon on us, do we?" Tiberius asked, not expecting a serious answer at all.

"Pardon?" his other three friends asked, all confused with the request for such a strange contraption.

"Anyone got a sniper rifle?" Tiberius rephrased, smiling, thankfully his back turned to the others. "I see Serangmon in the distance, talking with someone else in his room."

"Sure, everyone carries a sniper rifle with them wherever they go," K.H. responded sarcastically. "Besides, I'm sure that glass is bullet proof."

"Probably," Tiberius replied, continuing to scan the area for any such entrances they can use aside from the front door, back door, and barred windows.

* * * * * *

"They're outside," the figure spoke, breaking the silence that once tied the room.

"Even with five Mega level Digimon, they won't get in," Serangmon commented, stepping towards the windowed door and placing a hand on the glass.

"Of course not," was the reply from the shadows. "If they get help though..."

"I'm sure they'll get it," Serangmon replied reassuringly. "We had many friends...in our time...they will know what they have to do..."

* * * * * *

"Are you the one they call Blitz?" the female voice asked from behind the teenager. Tao stepped around, wondering who would call him by his nickname.

There, standing before him was a girl the same age as he. Her long dark hair was tied back in a ponytail, her dark eyes clear with vengeance. She wore a black T-shirt with white trim and silver coloured like jeans. She held a sword in her right hand. On her left wrist was an unusual watch, pitch black like some of her other features.

"That is I," Tao answered, his blade lower, yet ready. Celeaglemon stood by his partner's side, the two training before they were rudely interrupted. "And who is this that asks for me?"

"My name is Zera," she answered.

"Well, what ya know, that's the same nick as one of my FanFiction characters..." Tao thought, shaking it from his mind.

Standing beside Zera was a Digimon, humanoid like Celeaglemon. From there, the similarities end. Where as with Celeaglemon's wings you can see faint traces of the white shimmer it had before, the other Digimon's wings were pitch black.

"And the pleasure of your name?" Celeaglemon asked the other Digimon, scanning the Digimon some more.

"Varharommon," the vampire Digimon answered, bearing his fangs. His hair was black, much like his eyes. The Digimon donned a piece of chain mail armour for his protection. In his hand was sword very similar to that Zera carried.

"And what do you wish?" Tao asked, breaking, the silence. Zera slowly gripped her blade, tightening it.

"I come to take your head!" she screamed, rushing forward, sword raised. Celeaglemon was about to step into the way if Varharommon didn't smash into him a full speed. Both aerial Digimon ascended into the air, both agreeing to not disturb their partners.

Tao reeled back when his blade smashed against Zera's blade. The force was harder then expected, though the boy knew how to compensate for the next attacks now. The two continued to battle, blades colliding, returning, then colliding again at a different angle.

Zera suddenly lunged forward, blade pointed forward. Tao nearly had a sword go through him, the blade missing his skin by inches as Zera sailed past. Quickly, she planted her feet into the ground, Tao behind her, but he was still recovering from the dodge. With all her force, Zera swung her blade in a 180-degree arc, hoping to get Tao off guard.

The teenager saw that, raised his blade to block, then stepped backwards so he wouldn't fall over. It was a sloppy block on his part, but he was grateful to still be standing. Zera quickly realigned herself to face Tao.

"I don't even know what I did to her...and now she wants me dead..." Tao thought, blocking another strong slash.

* * * * * *

Both aerial Digimon collided again, quickly reeling back a safe distance away from each other. Neither Celeaglemon nor Varharommon had an advantage, the two Ultimate level Digimon equally matched.

Celeaglemon drew his sword back, charging holy energy into the blade. Varharommon saw this action, and reacted appropriately.

"SHATTER WAVE!"

A blast of Darkness erupted from his weapon and towards Celeaglemon. The Angel Digimon's eyes went wide. Celeaglemon nullified the holy energy in his blade, raising his unarmed hand.

"CELESTIAL PROTECTION!"

A barrier of energy was erected before the Digimon, stopping the blast of Darkness. The shield shattered on impact.

During that time, Varharommon followed up behind the pulsating wave of Darkness, catching Celeaglemon by surprise when his opponent was suddenly right in front of him.

"What?!" Celeaglemon exclaimed, diving down quickly and narrowly avoiding a slash directed right towards his head and between the eyes.

"CELESTIAL CHARGE!"

"SHATTER WAVE!"

Both Holy and Unholy energy collided, causing a massive shock wave of null 

energy. Both Digimon returned to a safe distance from each other, watching their opponent.

"This guy knows everything I'm going to do...but how?!" Celeaglemon thought, surprised at how well his moves were anticipated. "Is he psychic?"

* * * * * *

Avengemon took a step forward, watching the shapeless globe of goo in front of him. Whatever it was for a Digimon, it disabled Epralmon pretty quickly.

It didn't just disable it, it imitated the Digimon, then used its own attack back. The bloody thing actually took the form of Epralmon, using an Absolute Crossfire attack right back at the Ultimate level Digimon with Courage. If anything else, the blob had endurance, taking more hits then the original copy.

Chenjamon was the Digimon's name, and that's about the only way to describe it. The blob quickly changed once more, forming the splitting image of Avengemon, though the duplicate had shinning black skin, as did the blob form, and as did it when it duplicated Epralmon.

K.H. held the defeated Kinoumon in his arms, the Digimon still conscious after the ordeal.

"His level is undetermined," Tiberius told the others after scanning the Digimon at least three more times. "And when I scanned him after he changed, he registered as Avengemon..."

"This ain't cool at all then..." K.H. muttered, pulling his Digimon a bit closer to himself. "I wonder if it's psychic...so it knows exactly what it can change to."

"Or maybe it's a genetics thing," Tiberius replied, stepping back to allow more room for Avengemon to fight the once blob like Digimon. "Either way, it's not good..."

The two Digi-Destined and their Digimon were attacked on their way out from exiting the sector of Serangmon's mansion. The Angel Digimon apparently had some jamming field that prevented Digital Portals from opening to go in and out of that sector.

"ANKOKU BLADE!"

Both Digimon threw their attacks at the same time, dark energy shaped as a spear crashing into each other. The attacks nullified each other upon contact.

"Does that mean this blob known as Chenjamon is just as powerful as Avengemon, or more powerful?" K.H. asked, getting worried about the situation.

* * * * * *

Tao blocked another blow brought to him by Zera. His concentration was on the battle, however his focus was on the blade the female wielded. The boy remained on the defensive upon noticing the design of the blade Zera used. If anything, Tao saw that his own weapon and that weapon Zera used were nearly identical, aside from a small symbol on the hilt which Tao couldn't see clearly with the blade moving and all.

"How can she hold a blade like mine when there is only one like it?" Tao thought, blocking another blow.

"Fight me!" Zera shouted, knowing that Tao has been holding back all that time. She slashed again, only to be blocked, making her even more frustrated with her foe. She was about to strike once more, until a harsh voice halted her.

"Zera, stop!" he yelled out, ending all combat in the sector right then and there. Eyes fell onto the new comer and his Digimon.

"Imperial..." Zera muttered under her breath, cursing at her luck. She glanced up at Varharommon, nodded once, then dashed off. Her Digimon flew right beside her, the two disappearing in a ripple of air.

"Curse this!" Imperial Wrath exclaimed, finally right beside Tao. He looked up, at Tao, then down at his Digimon. He was short, stubby, and had a pig like nose. The Digimon was also white, with a little antenna sticking out of his forehead. Imperial Wrath then turned his attention back towards Tao.

"Nice to see you again Tao," the boy spoke. "Come on Espermon, we got a person to chase!" he told his Digimon before running off again. He pressed some buttons on his dark blue wristwatch, similar in design to the one Zera wore. Just as Zera, he and his Digimon disappeared in a ripple through the air.

"Err...and what was that about?" Celeaglemon asked, landing beside Tao. He reverted back to his Rookie form, stretching his wing once changed. His body ached from the fight against Varharommon.

"I don't know...but...if that's part of the threat to the Digital World, we know what to do," Tao spoke softly, lowering his weapon finally. His thoughts remained on that girl and the sword she wielded that so resembled his own.

* * * * * *

Avengemon fell flat onto his back with a loud metallic clank. The shimmering skinned Chenjamon shaped in the form of Avengemon stepped towards the fallen Digimon, biological sword ready to finish the job.

With one strong thrust, the black blade entered Avengemon. The Digimon cried out in pain, before reverting back to his Rookie form of Lepumon. Tiberius quickly collected his fallen, unconscious Digimon as Chenjamon morphed back into its goo like form.

"Err...is it going to eat us now?" Tiberius asked, stepping away from the blob.

"Be strong..." K.H. muttered under his breath. "Do not let fear overcome your instincts...it will only lead to more mistakes...more ways to be defeated..." In K.H.'s pocket, his Digivice glowed with a faint orange aura.

"Tiberius, here," K.H. spoke aloud, handing Kinoumon to his partner. Tiberius' eyes went wide, getting an idea of what K.H. wanted to do.

"You aren't going to stall for time, are you?" Tiberius asked. K.H. exhaled, glanced back at the approaching blob, and then pressed Kinoumon towards Tiberius again.

"Trust me on this..." K.H. replied softly. The glow of faint crimson was suddenly dabbed with the dullness of gray.

"K.H...I won't let...you..." Kinoumon answered, still weak, but his determination flared. "We're...partners...I won't let you go...alone...."

"You're hurt already..." K.H. reasoned, pulling Kinoumon close to his chest while stepping away from Chenjamon. "I don't want you hurt anymore...you're too much of a friend to go like this..." The Digivice in his pocket was flooded with a crimson aura, his third Crest blossoming with power.

"Listen, K.H. we ain't leaving, no matter how hard you try," Tiberius replied strongly. Kinoumon nodded in agreement, albeit weakly. Lepumon would have agreed to if he were conscious. K.H. was about to protest, but upon seeing the looks on his companions faces, decided otherwise.

"Alright, then propose how we can beat this thing," K.H. answered, watching the blob approach. Thankfully for the Digi-Destined, the Digimon moved incredibly slow in its 'basic' form.

"Err...beat it with a stick?" Tiberius suggested, in a half serious, half joking tone. It hardly lightened the situation.

"What level is it in its basic form?" K.H. inquired.

"The analyser says it's undetermined," Tiberius answered, scanning one more time to make sure. "But I'm guessing somewhere between Ultimate and Mega..."

"Makes sense," K.H. agreed. "So far, it's only replicated Ultimate and Mega Digimon. It hasn't even attempted to make a copy of our Rookies; even the Champion level of Legionarimon was ignored. I'm guessing lower classed Ultimate."

"It still doesn't solve our problem of defeating this thing," Tiberius spoke aloud.

"Our problem is that we have to hit the Digimon _before _it has a chance to change..." K.H. assessed. "Unfortunately, with two disabled Digimon...and without any sort of weapons...that seems very unlikely..." The Digivice in his pocket now splashed in a brown glow with the other three colours. The combination was complete.

Chenjamon, with sudden outburst of speed, leaped upon K.H. The boy fell over to shock, though Kinoumon didn't allow the blob to hit his partner.

"Kinoumon..."

The four Crests K.H. possessed dashed under Kinoumon, forming a trapezoid when laser energy connected the four. The area was filled, then the polygon raised, converting Kinoumon to data as the area of the trapezoid touched him. Soon, there was nothing of the Digimon.

"Warp Digivolve to..."

The polygon spun around, expanding out then lowering again, converting the data structure of the Digimon into something new.

To be revealed first was an antenna, then a long head with jaws and mandibles. The body was next, showing a Digimon clad in chitinous crimson armour. Following it was six legs on the underside. Scaly and reptilian, though with the distinction of being insect like as well. The trapezoid slowly faded, only showing the four Crests now.

Large translucent wings grew out of the Digimon's back, scaly and reptilian just like the legs. The four Crest circled around the Digimon, before imprinting onto the armoured carapace of the Digimon.

"Matalefmon!"

_Matalefmon:_ _An insect/reptile hybrid. The legs have the ulterior purpose of claws during flight. Attacks: Crystal Plague, Chaos Implosion. A Mega level Digimon._

Matalefmon tackled Chenjamon, knocking the blob away. If anything, the blob looked 'shocked'.

"Matalefmon, quick, beat Chenjamon before it can change!" both K.H. and Tiberius shouted at once. The Digimon needed no encouragement, unleashing his first attack as the blob was beginning to transform once more.

"CRYSTAL PLAGUE!"

Matalefmon spewed mist from his mouth, surrounding the blob as it changed. There was a cry of pain from inside the mist, the white substance slowly dissipating. Crystal shards blasted out of the blobs 'skin', halting his transformation. The insect like Digimon flew up to the blob, slashing away with his claw like legs.

After about thirty slices, Matalefmon lifted the blob off the ground. Chenjamon was still stunned by the attacks against him. With one strong throw, the blob was back against the ground, his form barely stabled as the blob widened then shrunk and widened again like an elastic band.

"CHAOS IMPLOSION!"

Matalefmon curled his legs together, energy beginning to change between his six appendages. Just as Chenjamon was tossed, the flying Digimon tossed the ball of energy at the blob. Upon impact, the energy blast imploded, causing smoke and gas to appear. As gas floated into the sky, the Digi-Destined and the hovering Digimon could see the bits of data floating into the sky.

Matalefmon landed on the ground, changing back to the Rookie known as Kinoumon. He fell onto the ground, tired after two straight battles. K.H. collected his Digimon once more, telling his Digimon on the fine job he did.

"Think that was one of Serangmon's goons?" Tiberius asked, the two continuing on their path out of the sector and jamming devices.

"Wouldn't be surprised," K.H. answered, patting his Digimon. "We are trespassing..."

"It doesn't seem like his style though..." Tiberius commented, entering a deep state of thought again. The two remained silent for the remainder of the way out of the sector.

Fin

****

Completed: 04/11/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	41. Episode 41-Reversing Hate

****

Reversing Hate

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

__

Mega level Digimon are formed from a combination of four Crests.

So much for Harriermon hitting that stage. Until I can get my Crest of Love to shine, which I really doubt I can, he'll never hit Mega.

And even if the Crest of Love will shine, who knows what will happen...My Crest of Light is still smothered in Darkness, and the Crest of Darkness doesn't seem anxious to lose hold over its Light counterpart.

What will become of a Mega with holy and unholy attributes?

May we pray it is something that can help us...if it is attainable...

~Diary of Tao 'Blitz' Lee, the lost Destined

* * * * * *

Serangmon sighed, turning to face the figure in the shadows. For the past some time, there was silence between the two.

"Only a few more days remain..." Serangmon spoke, closing his eyes. If the Digi-Destined were to succeed, his time would be near.

"A week and a half, tops," the figure reassessed, but knowing how grave the situation was.

"As long as he controls Tao like a puppet, there is no way Harriermon will never Warp Digivolve..." Serangmon spoke softly, knowing this last Mega form will be the hardest to form.

"Tao may be the most distant from the goal," the figure replied. "But be assured, he is also the most powerful of the five."

"Strong enough to cut the string that bind him?" Serangmon spoke, twitching his wings. "I hope so...Celeaglemon already has trace of Darkness within him, and he is a Light Digimon. If this kind of soul devouring continues, their strongest fighter may become their worst enemy..."

"Only time will tell..." was the soft-spoken reply from the shadows. Serangmon turned to face the outside world again, the wind picking up slightly. The dawning sun in the distance was slowly drowned the cold, night air. "Only time..." he repeated.

* * * * * *

The sun shone brightly over the green field. There was a small breeze, the grass tilting with the wind. Tao stood alone in the field, weapon less. He admired the sight, a sense of calmness that he's never felt before since his 'death'.

The wind blew again, blowing his short black hair with it. The Digi-Destined turned around, then smiled. In the distance stood Shastina, her back turned to the boy. Tao approached Shastina, placing a hand on her shoulder when she close enough.

The female Digi-Destined whirled around, her face showing disgust at the sight of Tao. She slapped him hard across the face, Tao reeling back in utter shock.

"S-S-Shas?" Tao stammered, surprised with the show of violence. Shastina stepped back, fearing the other Digi-Destined. "W-What'd I do?"

"Get away from me!" Shastina screamed out, startling Tao again. "I don't want anything to do with you!"

"Shas...?" Tao asked, still stunned with the revelation.

"You left me alone...you broke my heart..." Shastina accused, sobbing. "You destroyed me!"

"What?!" Tao exclaimed, stepping back with the sheer weight of the information. He was about to step forward again until a hand fell on _his _shoulder. He was quickly whirled around, then a there was a punch in his face to knock him flat on his back. Tao winced in pain, holding his jaw before looking.

"The lady asked you to leave," Marc told his supposed friend. "I suggest you do that."

"M-Marc...?" Tao stammered again, slowly getting up. The older Digi-Destined walked past the fallen one, taking one of Shastina's arms. Quickly, she was on him, crying into his shoulder. Marc hugged the girl tightly, her sobbing subsiding.

"It's alright...I'm here now..." Marc whispered, just loud enough for Tao to hear.

"T-thank you..." Shastina spoke, still choking a bit from her crying. "...love..."

"L-l-love?!" Tao thought, as though he were just hit but a tractor trailer.

"I'll always be here for you..." Marc spoke, brushing some strands of hair away from Shastina's face.

"I know that...." Shastina answered, then turning to face Tao. "Unlike him..."

"Ignore him," Marc spoke turning Shastina's head to face him. "You have me now."

"And I think you to the bottom of my heart for that," Shastina spoke, pulling closer to Marc. Slowly, the two lips drew together.

Tao's eyes went wide upon witnessing the event, then he forced it closed, unable to watch anymore. The world went dark, even after he opened his eyes again. There was blackness for as far as he could see, the world before him disintegrated from existence.

_"Kill him..."_

"Wha?" Tao asked, standing up slowly. A firm object was placed in his hand, his fingers curling tightly around it.

_"Kill him..."_

Tao raised the item, revealing Drowsmon's blade in his hand. His eyes went wide, turning the blade to see his reflection. In the blade, he saw Marc.

_"Kill him..."_

The voice repeated over and over again, compounding into an echo that never stopped. Tao grabbed his head, trying to shut the sounds out, but to no avail. His mind became contaminated with those two words, and he knew who those two words wanted to kill.

"Marc..." Tao spoke softly, collapsing into a heap in the darkness. The voices slowly subsided, moving away. Tao never noticed, lying unconscious on the dark floor.

* * * * * *

"It is set, now we wait," the Darkness spoke, leaving his previous state of concentration. The Digimon before him watched the Darkness work, seeing the imagines infused into the boy's mind with that dream.

"Very good," the Digimon commented, watching a reply of the dream sequence. "I don't think I could've programmed anything better."

"Hitting Mega level for Harriermon should be impossible now," the Darkness replied.

"If he does," the Digimon replied, raising a mechanical left arm. His fingers curled into a fist, a tight fist. "You don't have to tell me again, I know what to do. I'll dispose of the Digimon, then his partner, then go hunting for the rest."

* * * * * *

Tao slowly aroused from his slumber, taking his head in his hand. The dream he witnessed remained firmly photographed in his mind. The boy slowly stood up, blade grasped firmly in his hand. He glanced back at his sleeping Digimon, the bird snoring peacefully beside the embers of the once roaring fire.

"Have...to...kill..." Tao muttered under his breath, taking his Digivice from his pocket. He began to walk off, somehow knowing the general vicinity of the Digi-Destined he wanted.

"When the Digivice beeps, blood will be shed..." the Digi-Destined of Darkness whispered, griping his sword tighter in anticipation.

* * * * * *

Marc sat still, watching the morning sun rise again, Shastina by his side again. This time, their Digimon were watching the sun to, though paying no heed to their partners.

"It's so beautiful," Shastina commented again, though Marc knew what the female Digi-Destined thought about sunsets.

"It's as beautiful as you are," Marc commented under his breath, though Shastina heard it as clear as day.

"Marc!" Shastina exclaimed, though softly as not to alert their Digimon. "If I didn't know better, it would seem like you're trying to hit on me!"

"Maybe I am," Marc joked, getting a playful slap on his arm from Shastina. The girl giggled lightly, placing a head on Marc's shoulder.

"I miss Tao..." Shastina whispered, sighing. Marc's visage of immaturity turned to something of seriousness.

"We all do," Marc replied, sighing as well. He placed an arm around Shastina, pulling her closer. "Until then...well...I promised him I'd take care of you...and a promise I will keep..."

"I know you will," Shastina whispered into Marc's ear, snuggling up against him.

Both their Digivices went off, startling them. They pulled away as their Digimon turned around to face them, innocent of any of the actions before the beeping.

Shastina and Marc retrieved their Digivices, seeing two signals in the vicinity of the sector.

"Well, looks like we won't be alone much longer," Marc commented, sighing a bit. Part of him wished the moment could've gone on, the other hating himself for trying to get close to Shastina.

"Yep..." Shastina agreed, also sighing. She felt a strange comfort being alone with Marc like that. She mentally slapped herself afterwards, knowing her heart belonged to someone else. She would have to wait patiently for that day.

Shastina glanced up at Marc, the boy deep in thought. "He's so sweet though, consoling me like that," Shastina thought, smiling.

* * * * * *

Harriermon slowly awakened from his slumber, rubbing his eyes with his wings. Blinking a few times to clear the blur, he looked around; Tao was no where to be seen.

"Tao?" Harriermon spoke aloud, hoping that the boy was just somewhere out of the range. "Tao?!" he spoke again, standing up. "TAO!!" he then shouted, dismaying at the fact that there was no response.

"He's gone off to kill," the voice told Harriermon from behind. The bird Digimon swung around, 'arms' raised for a fistfight. Standing before him was Serangmon.

"Easy there," Serangmon spoke calmly, raising his arms. He held no weapons, nor was he carrying his dual rapiers.

"What do you mean he's gone to kill?" Harriermon asked forcefully. The avian Digimon knew his mistake, calming down. There was no need to be so angry to someone who obviously holds good intentions. "Sorry..." he whispered.

"Don't need to apologise," the Angel Digimon spoke, falling to one knee to get a better view of the bird.

"So, where's he go?" Harriermon asked, anxious to hear an answer.

"He went off to kill Marc," Serangmon spoke softly, deliberately slowly. He didn't know how to word it for the Digimon, and this was the best he could do.

"WHAT?!" Harriermon exclaimed, dumb struck with such act. "Why would he do that?!"

"I think you know that answer..." Serangmon muttered, standing back up.

"It's the Darkness, isn't it?" Harriermon asked. The Angel didn't answer the question, knowing that it was rhetorical. Harriermon nodded, about to run off, but stopping.

"Serangmon...I don't know what your intentions are...but...you've been very helpful to us...especially to me and Tao," Harriermon spoke, unsure why he was telling the Angel that. "I...I just wish we didn't have to fight you...for whatever reason it is...but we have a responsibility..."

"Don't try to convince me to stop what I'm doing," Serangmon spoke. "You have a responsibility, I have mine. It's just what we do that make us battle each other." Harriermon nodded, saddened by how true those facts were.

"Thank you again!" Harriermon shouted, waving and then taking off, well would've if he weren't missing on bit of information.

"Northwest," Serangmon directed, remembering that he didn't tell Harriermon which way to go. Harriermon nodded once more, saying his thanks and flying off as fast as he could to stop Tao from doing anything rash.

"Post haste, my friend," Serangmon thought, watching the bird fly off. "You can not allow the Darkness to win..."

* * * * * *

"Marc!!" Tao shouted out, gripping his blade tightly, imagining the blood run down the sharp weapon when he was done with this...friend of his.

Both Shastina and Marc looked up at the top of the hill where Tao stood, and just from the tone of his voice, they knew something was wrong with their friend...former friend for now. Shastina pulled closer to Marc, afraid for her boyfriend. Tao saw this, getting him even angrier. With a burst of energy, he rushed down the hillside, weapon ready with lethal intent.

"Move it!" both Tigramon and Xemon shouted, leaping into the way. Tao gave them little regard, slashing each down before they could make a move. They rolled backwards, large gashes in their body spilling blood. The two Rookies did nothing in stopping the enraged Human.

"Oh shit..." Marc muttered, raising an arm over his face as Tao was upon him in just a second, blade about to slash.

Metal clashed into metal, Tao stepping back with the sudden appearance of a new person. A female, nothing like Zera. She had brown hair with blue streaks on the right side. Her blue eyes started at Tao with deadly intent, yet pitied the boy for his Dark heart. She wore a pair of tight blue pants and a short sleeved shirt. On her wrist was a watch like Imperial Wrath's and Zera's, only this time with silver coating. Her blade had a sapphire glint to it, intricate design on the handle that Tao could see.

"What do you want!?" Tao demanded, admiring the sight no more. A person has stopped his goal, a goal of personal vengeance.

"Blitz, Blitz, Blitz, Blitz, Blitz..." the girl repeated, a bit disappointed with the poor attitude. "I can't allow you to kill them...jealously is a powerful emotion...especially when compounded with hate."

"Who asked you?!" Tao screamed, running forward and slashing hard, though parried by the girl the same age as he.

"That's it Crys!" the Digimon shouted, hovering beside Marc and Shastina. The two didn't noticed until the Digimon spoke out. The Digimon was a floating head of a white goat with a horn sticking out of her forehead. On the horn was a small bag. The Digimon looked up at the two when she noticed they were staring.

"Oh, hi! My name is Wispmon! Nice to meet ya!" the Digimon exclaimed, tossing the bag towards them. "Medical supplies, take them and wrap up your Digimon." Shastina and Marc weren't sure what to do, but did as suggested. They wouldn't want their Digimon to die from blood lose.

* * * * * *

Serangmon activated the display, watching the battle unfold before him. The figure was still in the corner on the room, watching as well.

"This will be the biggest risk ever for them..." the Angel Digimon commented.

"His other three Crests are shining brightly," the figure spoke. "Brighter then the four combined of each other Digi-Destined. However, without the last Crest, there will be no chance of survival."

"He may be most distant from the goal..." Serangmon thought, remembering what he was told earlier. "...but he is the most powerful of the five."

"You can do it, Tao..." Serangmon spoke under his breath.

* * * * * *

Crys stepped back, the strength of the slash forcing her to consolidate her position.

"Come on Crys, you beat the guy once...you can do it again..." she thought, pressing her sapphire blade towards Tao. Their two blades were locked, and at the same time, they unlocked. The two had the same idea of leaping back. Tao's blade glowed with emerald energy. Crys' blade emitted a blue and white like glow.

The arc of the Sonic Sword blade from Tao's blade. Crys released her own energy, a blue and white like teardrop of energy sailing to intercept the Sonic Sword. Both attacks collided, causing an explosion of energy that only last for a second.

"Equally matched...he seems stronger...but..." Crys thought, breaking the train. She couldn't afford to be distracted at a crucial time like this. The female sword wielder knew she had to hold out until Harriermon appeared.

* * * * * *

Metamon, a large robot Digimon, flew through the air with a job to do. His rocket pack burned full throttle to destroy Harriermon, as ordered by the Darkness. He was one of the smaller robots around, but his speed made up for his lack of size. He had a pair of machine guns on his shoulders and carried a micro missile launcher.

He flew over head the battle of Tao and the unknown girl, then stopped, thinking.

"Data suggests that the Crest of Love will never shine," the robot Digimon inferred, continuing to assess the fighting. "Ah hell, I can kill his girl friend before I will go kill his partner," the Digimon thought, preparing a dive down.

* * * * * *

Tao was about to slash again, halted by the mere scream of Shastina ringing through his ears. He looked up at the two, seeing Marc lying on the ground, unconscious, Shastina in the hold of some massive robot Digimon. Their Digimon were bandaged up, but were in no condition to fight.

"SHAS!" Tao exclaimed, his urge to kill now turned to something new. He stepped forward, then halted, seeing one of the machine guns on Metamon's directed at Shastina's head. Crys had her blade ready, griping it tightly.

"Come on Harrier...get here soon..." Crys thought, checking the time. Wispmon held her ground, watching, knowing that she, as a Rookie, stood no chance against this Mega level Digimon.

"Four..." Crys counted.

"You hurt her..." Tao hissed angrily.

"Three..."

"I won't hurt her, just kill her," Metamon answered.

"Two..."

Tao remained silent, watching, feeling helpless now.

"One..."

"GALE WING!"

"Zero..."

Harriermon crashed down against the back of Metamon's head with so much force that the robot Digimon fell over in shock, dropping the girl. It surprised all that a Rookie could have hurt the Mega in such a way. Tao quickly ran up and cradled Shastina in his arms once more.

"Oh my God...I'm sorry Shas..." Tao spoke quickly, feeling like a jerk for everything he's done this day. Shastina glanced up, forced a smile, and shook her head. "I shouldn't have been so jealous, I shouldn't have wanted to kill Marc like that...and now...I almost lost you because I wasn't looking out for you...again..."

"Tao..." Shastina whimpered. Harriermon landed beside the two, awaiting for some help against this Mega robot. "I'll love you with all my heart, no matter what..."

"You made Marc promise to take care of me, and a fine job he did..."

"I'm such an idiot...forgetting that promise..." Tao muttered, sighing. Shastina didn't want to hear the boy bash himself anymore, wrapped an arm around Tao's neck, then pressed her lips to his. Tao pulled away after a second, watched Shastina again.

"Shastina...my love...." Tao spoke softly, tears running down his cheek. He pressed his lips against Shastina's lips once more. His Digivice blasted with power, the fourth of his Crest finally shinning once more.

"Harriermon..."

The four Crests encircled him, connected with energy. Even the Crest of Darkness empowered the Digimon with energy, not energy to hate and destroy without cause, but with energy to protect. A pillar of light emerged, blasting into the sky.

"Warp Digivolve to..."

The pillar of light shattered, revealing a humanoid figure. Armour formed from the toes all the way to the neck, though no armour was made on his arms. Sapphire eyes blinked once, his blond hair blowing back, though partially tied down to the crimson headband. On the belt, two swords formed, each in sheathes. Gauntlets took there step, forming over his wrists and hands in a flash. Eagle wings formed on his back, the tips painted red, a light spray of black dotted the wings.

The four Crests stopped circling, the Crest of Love engraving on the chest plate of the armour. The Crest of Leadership split into two, one embedded in each gauntlet. Hope fell onto one of the blades, Light/Darkness falling onto the other.

"Hikaglemon!"

Hikaglemon raised his right arm, placing his left over the wrist. The right gauntlet opened at a hatch, dual cannons emerging from the opening.

"GRAVITY CANNON!"

The recoil of the blast knocked Hikaglemon back, two balls of pitch-black energy, side-by-side dashing towards the robot. Metamon began to fire his micro missile launcher into the energy, though it was sucked into the core of each ball. The blast impacted, the ball of energy expanding outwards.

"Is it over?" Shastina asked, still a bit weak. The question was answered when a hail of bullets erupted from the resulting smoke. Most were evaded easily by the Mega level eagle Digimon, the few remaining bouncing off the armour harmlessly. Hikaglemon donned his weapons.

"LH BLADE!"

Holy energy lashed out from the weapon into the smoking rubble. A mechanical cry of pain came from the area, but the continuing hail of fire and micro missiles indicated the Digimon was still walking.

Hikaglemon charged holy energy into his blades again, diving down.

"GRAVITY CANNON!"

He fired another blast of gravity based energy from his right gauntlet, causing more smoke and another implosion of energy. The Digimon continued to dive in, then there was silence.

The smoke soon faded, leaving Hikaglemon there with Metamon. The two blades cut right through Metamon's chest, the robot Digimon surprised with the outcome.

"Data proved to be inaccurate," Metamon muttered, disintegrating into bits of data. Hikaglemon returned to his Rookie form, the bird angry at his partner for running off. Crys and Wispmon were no where to be seen.

* * * * * *

Marc groaned, slowly getting up from his black out. He opened his eyes, seeing Shastina watching over him.

"Where's...Tao...?" he asked, sitting up, though Shastina pushed him back down. He noticed he was back in his own room at his own house. The bed was quite comfy.

"He couldn't bring himself to face you after what he tried to do," Shastina answered, sighing. "You're going to have to talk to him about it...if you find him..." Marc nodded, glancing down at the floor. Xemon and Tigramon stood there, still bandaged, but definitely looking a lot better then before. Marc was about to get up again, Shastina pushing him back down once more.

"Get some rest, you don't need to do anything now," she told Marc. The male Digi-Destined sighed, then nodded. There was nothing he could do right now.

Fin

****

Completed: 04/12/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	42. Episode 42-Reinforcements

Reinforcements ****

Reinforcements

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_Well, the time is coming...according to Botanimon...it is...whatever that means._

Here I am, in the Digital World...looking out for my friends. The time to end this war is coming...I think that's what Botanimon means.

Oh, Tsurugi, if I don't live though this, please forgive me...

~Diary of Yuriko 'Yasmine' Yashida, first generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

It was a small gathering at Tiberius' house, the group of Digi-Destined minus one arranging themselves in his room. Their Digimon also scattered about, prepared to listen as well. Once the crowd was silenced, Tiberius began.

"This meeting has been called today, as to discuss our current situation," Tiberius told them, trying not to sound so formal, but it was hard not to with a speech like this. Shastina shifted nervously on her seat, K.H. anxious to know what the next move was. Marc remained impassive as far as expression can go.

"Being as it is, we have four Mega level Digimon, plus Tao and Hikaglemon, though their services may not always be there for us," he spoke. "Our Digimon have hit the highest attainable level known, so, what we have to do must be done."

"There's no use waiting it out. The longer we wait, the more the Merger has done to the world. Serangmon must be stopped..."

"Breaking through that kind of defensive capability of the abode will be a problem though," K.H. spoke, knowing full well the capacity of security around there.

"Did you see any Mega level Digimon?" Shastina inquired, knowing that Tiberius and K.H. went on a scouting mission recently.

"No, but there are plenty of Ultimate and Champion Digimon, plus countless traps and such," Tiberius informed them.

"So, getting in shouldn't be the problem, it's getting to Serangmon with near full power to confront him that will be difficult to achieve," Marc spoke, still impassive.

"Getting in may be harder then we think," K.H. spoke. He glanced over at the corner with the Digimon. They were paying attention, well, looked like it at least. "We need to find a way in, break through into that way...and chances are, we'll end up losing one Mega breaking in, then most likely another Mega to get to Serangmon."

"Leaving us with two disabled Rookie Digimon and two injured Mega Digimon to fight Serangmon _if _we even get that far," Tiberius concluded. "Needless to say, this is the best case scenario."

"I don't like those odds..." Shastina replied, worried now.

"It's not nice, but, we have to try something," Marc spoke out.

"We also have the unknown factors," Lepumon spoke out.

"Err...like?" Shastina inquired.

"Tao and Hikaglemon, they aren't added to the equation," Kinoumon spoke.

"Or Yasmine," Tigramon added. "They're in the Digital World for a reason. They must be planning _something_."

"Even so, we can't count on them completely," Tiberius countered. "Like you said, they are unknown factors. We don't know what they represent in the grand scheme of things."

"Even so, they're there," Xemon answered the challenge. "We never know..."

"I'd like to have more reliable factors," K.H. spoke softly. "Besides, they'll come when they need to come."

"When do we plan to attack then?" Marc asked, knowing that it was inevitable. Might as well get something out.

"Tomorrow...until then, rest up," Tiberius told them. Their materials were lay across the room, the group ready to spend the night at Tiberius' place. It was his suggestions. To Tiberius, it allowed the group to stay together, and so there won't be discrepancies in time when they enter the Digital World.

Sleeping bags were rolled out, the Digi-Destined taking the washroom one at a time to get changed and washed up. Night was coming fast, though jet lag affected how some of the Digi-Destined slept.

* * * * * *

Tao lay on his back, arms crossed and behind his head. The full moon shined over head, though the fire nearby provided all the illumination he and Harriermon will need for the night.

"What are we going to do?" Harriermon asked, also lying down, his wings 'crossed' behind the back of his head.

"I dunno," Tao replied, sighing. He read the e-mail Tiberius sent him, asking for help when they storm Serangmon's home. Tao didn't reply yet to the e-mail, his thoughts clearly undecided.

"I don't want to fight Serangmon," Harriermon commented, sighing. "But we both have a commitment to the Digital World to stop him..."

"That we do," Tao agreed, also sighing. His mind was split between helping his friend to defeat a foe that really isn't really a foe at all, or to do nothing in faith that the foe who really isn't a foe knows what he is doing. A portion of that same mind was split towards a third thought. The thought was that of Darkness, and that if he approached his friends, the boy known as Tao may just end up slaying all of them with the weapon he sought to protect the Digital World with.

"Tao, I've stuck by your side all this time, and I will continue to stay by your side," Harriermon spoke, sitting up. "No matter what you choose to do, I'll be there for you. Although, right now, I suggest we help them." Tao didn't not respond, he continued to lie down, arms crossed behind his head. "They're our friends, and if you start going berserk again, I'll be sure to slap some sense into you," Harriermon added, grinning lightly. Tao chuckled under his breath.

"I know you'll slap sense into me," Tao thought, closing his eyes. "You always have, and you will continue to." Tao sighed, leaning back a bit more. "I value your words as much as I value you as a friend, need you know that...Harrier..."

"Tao, take your time, we still got something like sixteen to twenty hours left before they embark on the last leg of our mission," Harriermon consulted, knowing Tao hasn't made up his mind yet.

"I know..." Tao thought, opening his eyes to face the night sky once more. "But I don't think I can decide even with that much time..."

* * * * * *

Yasmine brushed past some more branches as she hiked through the forest, Botanimon trailing close behind. The two have been travelling for quite some time, collecting what they needed for the upcoming events that will transpire in the Digital World.

"I just wish I knew when Tiberius and them will actually start an attack," Yasmine complained, pushing some more branches out of the way. "That way, I know exactly when to get there."

"Well, we can always asked the locals," Botanimon joked, brushing past some more vegetation.

"Very funny," Yasmine responded bitterly and sarcastically. "This is serious. They could be relying on us for that crucial-"

"Yes, yes, I know," Botanimon interrupted, repeating herself for the hundredth time. "Lighten up Yasmine, all this stress doesn't do you justice."

"No, it doesn't," a voice added, getting both Digi-Destined and Digimon to turn around quickly. A boy stood before them, a Digimon by his side.

"Who are you?" Yasmine quickly asked, ready for a fight at any time. Botanimon was in a fighting stance, though she senses no danger from those two.

"They call me Imperial Wrath, just Imperial or Wrath will do," the boy answered, stepping forward. "My Digimon is Espermon, but names are not really important right now. I take it you are Yuriko, however."

"That is I," Yasmine answered, unsure who this mysterious boy was. "What do you want with me?" she inquired. "I have little time to waste if it holds no relevance to my mission."

"Tiberius and them plan to attack in seventeen hours," Wrath told Yasmine. The female Digi-Destined was shocked by that revelation. "I hope that proves to be useful," Wrath continued, turning around, Espermon following by his side. Yasmine quickly turned away, then turned back to face where the boy was, but in that instant, Wrath disappeared.

"Where'd he go?" Botanimon asked, also distracted for the split second. Both Digi-Destined and Digimon looked around for a brief moment, but found no trace of their informant.

"How peculiar," Botanimon commented, though she was quickly interrupted by Yasmine.

"We got a job to finish, and there's not much time left," Yasmine huffed, hurrying off. Her Digimon followed close behind.

"Step two of the plan?" Botanimon asked, keeping up to speed with her partner.

"Yeah," Yasmine answered. "We'll need this time to assemble the group and brief them on the situation," she continued, glancing back at her Digimon. "Be quick Botanimon." Her Digimon nodded, the two breaking towards separate directions to achieve the same goal at different locations.

* * * * * *

"They're coming soon," the figure spoke from his little corner, hardly surprising the Angel Digimon anymore.

"Let them come," Serangmon replied, holding a sheath with a rapier in his hand. "The time is coming near, this must end soon...or all will be lost..." The figure nodded in his corner.

"Do you wish to be alone to think?" the figure inquired, stepping farther back into the recesses of darkness. "This might be your final few..."

"No," the Angel interrupted, turning to face the figure. "Please stay until this confrontation begins. I enjoy your company."

"Very well," the figure replied after a brief moment of thought. "These just might be last few moments we will have together, old friend." Serangmon closed his eyes, knowing full well what his companion meant.

"Let's hope they succeed..." Serangmon spoke softly, pressing a closed fist against his chest. His grip grew tighter. "Hope..."

* * * * * *

Shastina was the first awake of the group, sitting up in her sleeping bag and watching the outside. The sun slowly rose. The female Digi-Destined knew she was up earlier then her usual time, even with the jet leg. Even so, she felt refreshed.

"Refreshed might not be the best word," Shastina thought, slipping out of her bag. "Anxiety...it might be more fitting to be described like that." She headed towards the window, sighing softly.

"Tao, please don't be torn between the balances..." Shastina thought, closing her eyes. Her dream slowly replayed in her mind. Tao, lost between the powers of Light and Darkness, both tearing at him to join their cause. Shastina tried to intervene, but was held back, and all she could do was see Tao suffer through the gale of pain.

The boy held his ground, remaining strong, holding back his cries. In his eyes, Shastina could see the boy's suffering, before he quickly closed them to shut the pain out. The Light and Darkness continued to fight for their prey, paying no heed to what kind of damage is done, as long as they won.

A tear fell down Shastina's cheek, she sniffed lightly. Her eyes snapped back into reality. She quickly wiped the tear from her cheek, not wanting to show signs of weakness. Tao might be in turmoil, but she had an obligation towards something else at the moment.

Shastina slowly turned around, making sure her tears were no more so no one would notice in case they were awake. Thankfully, no one was awake because more tears began to fall down Shastina's cheek. She quickly left the room for the bathroom, though even her light footsteps were heard by Tigramon. The Digimon slowly opened her eyes, remaining silent, but knew Shastina left the room.

The Digimon got to her feet, stretched out, glanced at the clock, then the door, and decided to lie back down.

"There's still time," she told herself. "And I'm sure Shastina won't do anything crazy."

"At least, I hope not," Tigramon thought, knowing her partner was fully capable of doing crazy stunts, especially when it came to love. Tigramon got back up to her feet and watched the door again.

"Nah," Tigramon spoke, shaking her head and lying back down. "Man, I'm too paranoid for my own good," she muttered, closing her eyes again.

* * * * * *

"Tao, the time is drawing near," Harriermon spoke, though the Digimon knew his partner knew it was coming close.

"Have you made a decision?" the Digimon asked after a moment of silence. Tao gripped his weapon tightly, twirled it once, then jabbed it into the ground.

"No," Tao answered softly, tightening and loosening his grip on the handle of the weapon at random intervals.

"Tao, we only have about two hours left before they start their attack," Harriermon spoke out, but again, the Digimon knew he didn't have to tell his partner about the circumstances.

"I know," Tao whispered, proving Harriermon's point. "I...I just can't decide on the course of action..."

"Well, if you don't decide," Harriermon started, turning away from Tao. "The decision will be made for you." Tao nodded slowly, tightening his grip around the blade's handle.

"I just hope we don't regret the decision we make when it comes," Harriermon thought, sitting back down, back still turned towards his partner.

* * * * * *

Serangmon had the flat end of the blade against his thigh, a piece of flint in his hand. Slowly and mechanically, he sharpened the blade.

"Preparing for their arrival?" the figure asked from the corner. Serangmon nodded slowly, still sharpening his weapon of choice. The second rapier leaned against the wall, waiting to be sharpened.

"Do you think they will succeed?" the figure asked next, not moving.

"If they are as successful as they have been before, they will," the Angel Digimon replied, lifting the blade up to examine his work. Unsatisfied, the Angel continued to sharpen the weapon of choice.

"Which means?" the figure questioned, unsure of what the Angel Digimon's thoughts were.

"If they believe in themselves, they will overcome anything," Serangmon replied, lifting the blade once more. Satisfied, he leaned that blade against the wall, then took the second one for sharpening.

"Are you afraid of their success?" came the next question from the shadows. Serangmon gave no pause to his work, though he slowed down for a second in his sharpening. The Digimon knew the figure saw that little stall.

"No," the Angel replied forcefully. It was clear it was a lie, though the figure decided not to pursue the subject much more. "Yes," Serangmon changed his answer after a moment of silence.

"I've lived for so long," the Angel spoke softly, stopping his sharpening. "I should have known my time would be coming soon."

"Assuming the Digi-Destined succeed in their mission," the figure added, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"Don't assume," was the counter. "They will succeed." The Angel Digimon continued to sharpen his blade, looking for the right sharpness without shattering the durability of his weapon.

* * * * * *

Shastina entered back into the room after cleaning herself off. The light moans and yawns from inside alerted her of the waking presence of her comrades.

"Tiberius, next time you set an alarms clock, WARN US!" K.H. semi-shouted, not wanting to rudely awaken other occupants in the house with his tone.

"Yeah, especially one wish such a blaring noise," Marc agreed. Shastina noticed Marc poking his ear with his pinkie finger.

"I was wondering what the blaring noise was," Shastina commented, entering deeper into the room. More yawns and sleepy groans emerged from the sleeping bags and bed. Digimon were harder to awaken. From experience, the Digi-Destined knew the Digimon could sleep for a hurricane if they needed to.

"Get freshened up," Shastina commented to the other the boys. "Your morning breath really stinks."

"Now you know what I have to smell in the morning!" Kinoumon exclaimed, popping up from the sleeping bag.

"Hey!" K.H. protested. A ring of laughter erupted from the group as K.H. stormed to the washroom to lose the breath. The laughing subsided as a more serious atmosphere took its place.

"Once we're all refreshed and ready, we'll head into the final battle," Tiberius spoke. "If we can't break through now, we'll never be able to break through...ever." The other two Digi-Destined and the four Digimon nodded in agreement. Each of them had to fight with their full potential if they were to succeed in their mission against all odds.

"This is the now or nothing chance..." Xemon spoke softly, lowering his head.

"Nervous?" Shastina asked her Digimon in a soft tone. The Digi-Destined wanted to get her mind off her dream.

"Yes..." Tigramon responded, curling up against Shastina. "But...with you by my side, I know we can do this." Shastina nodded, then glanced around the room. Digimon and Dig-Destined alike were getting psyched up for the upcoming confrontation.

"Failure is not an option..." Shastina thought, closing her eyes.

* * * * * *

Tao took his blade out of the ground, standing up straight. Harriermon finally turned around to face Tao, knowing the boy came to a decision.

"What's the verdict?" the avian Digimon asked, standing up as well and waiting on Tao for an answer.

"Let's go..." Tao spoke softly after much silence. Harriermon nodded, accepting the decision.

"We have an hour to join the others, let's not waste it," the Digimon spoke, about to face the direction of their destination.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that..." the voice spoke. Both turned to face the owner of the voice, a Digimon clad in emerald armour and holding a halberd. A humanoid Digimon, his facial features hidden behind the helmet he wore.

"And who the hell are you?!" Tao exclaimed. The boy quickly grabbed his Digivice, but hesitated in using it.

"Freymon," the Digimon answered, twirling his halberd. "And you are in a predicament now."

"Yes we are..." Tao agreed mentally. "If Harriermon Warp Digivolves to Mega, he might not have the stamina to fight in the upcoming battle against Serangmon, but if we don't get away from this battle, then there won't be a battle against Serangmon..." Tao cursed under his breath at his luck.

* * * * * *

Tiberius glanced at the patrols all around the building. Digimon of various levels guarded the house, making it impossible to sneak in without detection.

"Tibbs, we went through this before," K.H. spoke. "The only way is a frontal assault."

"I know..." Tiberius replied. "I...I just wish there was another way..."

"There is no other way," Marc spoke, standing up. "Let's go and get this over with..."

One by one, Digi-Destined and Digimon stood up, ready to charge into the fray. Digi-Destined held their Digivices tightly, anxious and nervous at the same time. Their biggest challenge yet was before them, and they were hesitating.

"Let's go!" Shastina exclaimed, breaking the chains of fear that held them down. The female wished Tao showed up, but the times can't be helped. She stepped forward, followed by the others. Their walk eventually turned into a sprint down the field.

Fin

****

Completed: 04/18/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	43. Episode 43-Final Assault

Final Assault ****

Final Assault

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_The time to end this has finally come._

The deciding factors of this long-standing war is now before us. The line will be cut, and the success of failure of this battle will determine the fate of the Digital World. If will determine our battle prowess, and then...we will see if we are fit to guard the Digital World.

Will we be discarded like rags after this is complete? I dare not ponder...my friends are counting on me...I must go...

~Diary of Tao 'Blitz' Lee, the lost Destined.

* * * * * *

Tao's blade crossed against Freymon's halberd shaft, the blade a few inches away from the Digi-Destined's face. With great strength, Tao pushed the Digimon away from him, giving a short period of time to catch his breath.

"Tao, let me at him!" Harriermon pleaded. It was clear the Digi-Destined wouldn't last much longer against this emerald clad armoured Digimon.

"No way!" Tao shouted back, readying his blade once more. "You need to save your energy for the big battle coming up!"

"There won't _be _a big battle if you don't survive this encounter!!" Harriermon exclaimed, stepping forward.

"Leave it!" Tao shouted, deflecting another blow from the halberd. Sweat was clear on his forehead, the Digi-Destined becoming more exhausted for each passing second.

"Well Shas, looks like I won't be joining you in this final assault," Tao thought, closing his eyes while awaiting the next attack.

"Swift death awaits you, Digi-Destined," Freymon spoke, readying his weapon once more.

"Serangmon didn't send you," Tao spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, raising his weapon once more. He opened his eyes, watching the Digimon circling him.

"That Angel knows nothing," Freymon replied bitterly, running forward once more.

"I thought so," Tao replied under his breath, blocking the blow once more. The force from the axe weapon pushed him back, though the Digi-Destined held his balance. "If Serangmon didn't send this Digimon, then..." His thought was cut short as he was forced to block another blow from the massive axe like weapon.

"At least it doesn't compare at all to Axeramon's weapon," Tao thought, stepping back and awaiting more of the onslaught. Harriermon could do nothing but watch his partner fight a losing battle.

* * * * * *

Just as quickly as the four Digimon Warped Digivolve to their Mega stage, a flood of Ultimate, Champion, and Rookie level Digimon met them.

"That's a lot more resistance then I expected..." Tiberius thought, watching Avengemon knockout another two Digimon with his broad sword.

"Even with the power advantage, we're still outnumbered..." Marc told himself, watching Hydramon defend himself on four different fronts, a head for each side.

"Come on Kenokomon, we have to break though..." Shastina whispered, clasping her hands. The Mega level Digimon continued to slash through the masses.

"Every one Digimon we strike down, another two takes its place," K.H. saw. Matalefmon continued to spray mist about, disabling and damaging Digimon on masse, but to no avail.

"CONVERGING WRATH!"

Hydramon's massive ball of quad elemental energy bowled through the ranks of opposing Digimon. Despite the power, the hole in the line was quickly covered.

"Hell, this isn't working!" Kenokomon screamed out over the shouts. Her shoulder blades made contact with another Digimon. In another second, she slashed down another two Digimon, both Champion level. In their place were twenty Rookies.

The battle raged on, many variations of Digimon from Rookie to Ultimate swarming the group of Digi-Destined.

* * * * * *

Serangmon watched the battle unfold from his room, right hand placed flat against the glass of the door.

"Will they break through?" Serangmon asked the figure in the corner. Their was a brief pause, then the answer.

"Yes, their reinforcements is on the way," the figure replied. Serangmon nodded slowly, taking his blades from the table and turning away.

"I pray you keep your word, old friend," Serangmon spoke softly, walking past the corner.

"Do not worry, my word will be true," the figure answered. "Just do not hold back. They must be prepared for the task at hand."

"I understand," the Angel Digimon answered, opening the door and stepping out of the room. The figure sighed, watching the door close behind the Angel.

"I wish you didn't have to do this, old friend," the figure spoke softly.

* * * * * *

Tao slipped backwards, still standing, but clearly opened for a blow.

"You're dead!!" Freymon exclaimed, raising his halberd over his head and about to swing down.

"TAO!!" Harriermon shouted out, still unable to do anything. The boy looked up, saw the axe head, then reeled back, closing his eyes.

Metal clashed on metal as the axe head was halted by the sharp edge of another blade. Tao fell down, then opened his eyes, a female with black hair tied in a pony tail standing before him.

"Z-Z-Zera?!" Tao exclaimed, getting up and stepping back from the female that wanted him dead. The female looked back, grinned, then pushed the axe blade away. Freymon retreated for a moment, assessing the new development.

"My favourite Mega Man X author," Zera commented, grinning at Tao. "Sorry about before, it just wasn't me when that happened."

"B-But..." Harriermon stammered, though silenced by the female.

"No time to talk!" Zera exclaimed. "They're waiting for you, go!"

"You can't take Freymon on alone!" Tao protested, though Zera paid no heed to the warning. She dashed forward, striking with strong blows that forced Freymon into the defensive.

"I'll be alright, but your friends won't if you don't help them!" she shouted angrily, whacking Freymon away with the side of her blade. "Now get out of here before I have to kick your damn sorry ass in!"

Tao was taken aback by those harsh words, but nodded slowly. His responsibilities lied elsewhere at this moment, and he was already behind schedule.

"Harrier, let's get moving!" Tao ordered, dashing off. Harriermon flew close behind him, a bit dubious about leaving the black hair female behind, but didn't protest. Their goal was at another battle in this world.

* * * * * *

The four Mega level Digimon made a protective circle around their partners. They were boxed in, and it didn't seem very good for the team of Digi-Destined and Digimon to reach the front doors with this kind of flood.

"We're open for suggestions..." Tiberius spoke out, watching the ring of Digimon slowly converging on them.

"If I had one, I'd say so," K.H. responded bitterly, Digivice gripped tightly in his hand.

"I have one!" a voice shouted from outside the ring. Eyes fell on to the direction of the voice, though only the taller of the Mega level Digimon saw what was going on.

"Who is it?" Shastina asked, curious on who else would be crazy enough to attack Serangmon.

"It's Yasmine!!" Hydramon exclaimed. "And she's got a hell load of Digimon following her."

"Why thank you, Hydramon," Yasmine commented, looking up at the four headed dragon. She glanced left, then right. The first generation Digi-Destined was flanked by Digimon, also of various levels from Rookies to Ultimate level Digimon. Lushellemon stood by her partners side, ready to fight for the Digital World.

"Let's get to it!" Yasmine shouted. A battle cry erupted from the crowd of Digimon as they all flooded forward into the ring. The circle dispersed as Digimon collided in a massive bloodbath of Digital proportions.

"Tiberius, take your party and take on Serangmon!" Yasmine shouted over the crowd, barely audible, but heard, nevertheless. If her voice was clearer, the four Digi-Destined could have heard the pained voice in the first generation Digi-Destined's throat. Tiberius needed no encouragement, rallying the group into the next phases of the assault. The four Digi-Destined and their Digimon made headway for the house, a hail of fire busting down the front doors before they were close to the door.

"Go! Go! Go!" Marc exclaimed, keeping rear guard with Hydramon. He glanced back at the tidal wave of Digimon, hoping Yasmine was okay.

"She'll be fine," Tiberius spoke softly, also glancing back, as well as noticing Marc's concern. "We'll have to thank her for assembling such a group of Digimon to help us out at such a pivotal point in the battle." Marc nodded in agreement, entering the abode of Serangmon with Tiberius at his side.

* * * * * *

The four Mega level Digimon entered the massive chamber one at a time in single file line. Upon entering, each Digimon was awed by the sheer size of the chamber.

"It's like a football field..." K.H. commented after he stepped into the room. One the walls were many torches that illuminated the room. Four support pillars were in the room as well, as aligned with torches. The walls themselves were bare, without colour.

"I'm glad you like my arena," Serangmon commented, quickly getting the attention of the Digimon and their Digi-Destined. The Angel Digimon stood in the middle of the chamber, rapiers in his hands, though both were pointed towards the floor. "In this room will a resting place. It is all just a matter on who's resting place it will become."

"It'll become yours!" Shastina shouted defiantly. She curled his hands into fists, anxious to end this long drawn out war. Serangmon raised his blades, crossing them.

"We will see..." he spoke softly. "We will see..."

* * * * * *

Yasmine surveyed the battle, watching Digimon hack and slash and throw their respective attacks back and forth in the lines. She hated sitting back and doing nothing while others fought with all their might to save the Digital World.

"If only there was more I can do..." Yasmine whispered, watching the battle continue to unfold.

"Yasmine!" he shouted out, making Yasmine turn around. Before her was Tao, panting and out of breath. Harriermon landed beside the boy.

"I was wondering when you would show up," Yasmine commented, smiling a little. Tao grunted, nodding.

"Where are they?" Tao asked quickly, standing back up straight to show no more signs of weakness of fatigue.

"Inside," Yasmine spoke, pointing towards the house. "I'm guessing out to finish the mission." Tao nodded once more, glancing down at Harriermon. The Digi-Destined raised his Digivice and pointed it towards his comrade.

"Harriermon...Warp Digivolve to...Hikaglemon!"

"Thanks, Yasmine," Tao told the other Digi-Destined in gratitude. The humanoid Mega level Digimon lifted Tao up and soared over the raging battle, not wanting to waste anymore time or energy in needless battle.

"Good luck..." Yasmine spoke under her breath, biting her lower lip. "To all of you...good luck..."

* * * * * *

"ANKOKU BLAST!" "SLASH DUO!"

Both Avengemon and Kenokomon blasted their respective attacks at Serangmon. The Angel Digimon crossed his blades, holy energy charging into the metal.

"ARC WAVE!"

The blast of holy energy erupted from the blade and towards the two oncoming beams of energy.

"Slash Duo nullified Arc Wave last time, he stands no chance," Shastina commented softly, though her tone stated her fear.

The holy arc of energy crashed through both the Ankoku Blast and Slash Duo, nullifying the two attacks. Not only did it nullified those two attacks, it kept on going as though the two attacks the arc of holy energy cut through were nothing.

"What?!" both Digimon exclaimed, no time to evade the speeding attack. Two arcs came, one impacting against each Digimon and knocking them down, but far from out.

"CRYSTAL PLAGUE!"

Matalefmon spewed out his mist that could trap Serangmon in a cage of crystals. However, the attack did nothing that Matalefmon hoped for.

"DIVINE SHOCK!"

Holy aura surrounded the Angel Digimon, the mist unable to penetrate the shield. With amazing speed, Serangmon dashed forward, impacting into Matalefmon with incredible force. Once more, a Digimon fell over, stunned, but again, far from out.

Beams of energy flew past and at Serangmon, though his holy aura continued to protect him from the blast. Hydramon continued to unleash beams of elemental energy at the Angel, hoping to break the shield that surrounded the Digimon. Once more, Serangmon dashed towards the dragon Digimon, not afraid of the beams of energy that bounce harmlessly off his aura.

"CONVERGING WRATH!"

Hydramon let lose the ball of elemental energy at Serangmon, knowing this was the only chance at cracking that aura of protection that surrounded the Angel Digimon. Nevertheless, Serangmon made no effort to evade the attack. In fact, he decided to go _through _the attack, trusting his shield to protect him. As so the shield did, the Angel Digimon soaring through the attack and smashing against Hydramon. Each head gave out a groan of pain as the dragon Digimon fell down. The dragon wasn't knocked unconscious, but he was also in no position to stand back up either. Serangmon landed, raising a rapier and ready to thrust it into the dragon's head with the Crest of Hope on the forehead.

"SILENT SCREAM!"

Kenokomon unleashed her psychic attack, filling Serangmon's mind with an ear piercing scream. The Angel closed his eyes tightly, trying to shut out the attack.

"ARC WAVE!"

He slashed with one of his blades, unleashing another wave of holy energy that his Kenokomon square on the chest despite Serangmon's lack of aiming. She fell back, groaning in pain, stopping her psychic assault. The Angel regained his senses from the damaging scream, just in time to notice Avengemon charging at him, broad sword flailing in his hand. Blade collided with another blade, but without a second weapon and the agility Serangmon possessed, Avengemon stood little chance confronting the Angel at close quarters.

With one strong slash, Avengemon's armour was pierced across the chest, knocking him back down onto the ground.

"CHAOS IMPLOSION!"

Matalefmon released the contained energy ball at Serangmon, trying to get the Angel Digimon by surprise while he was distracted. Serangmon wasn't fooled, charging Holy energy into his rapiers once more. When the ball was close, he lashed out with his left rapier, swatting the massive energy ball away like it was a mere baseball. He quickly followed with his right rapier, unleashing an Arc Wave attack at Matalefmon. Once more, the attack hit home, knocking Matalefmon back down.

"Anyone else?" Serangmon asked, glancing around at the fallen Digimon. "That was hardly worth my time..." he muttered next, ready to finish Avengemon, the closest Digimon by him.

"GRAVITY CANNON!"

Twin beams of gravity energy smashed into the spot where Serangmon used to be. With his amazing reflexes and speed, the Angel Digimon was out of the way, his last occupied spot now a smoking crater. Eyes fell onto the door way, Hikaglemon standing there, his right arm raised, two barrels pointing out from his gauntlet. By his side stood Tao, weapon held firmly, though the boy did not move forward.

"You're mine," Hikaglemon spoke softly, flying forward to confront his adversary. The gauntlet closed up when the Digimon drew both his blades. The twin slash was blocked by Serangmon's rapiers, though the two knew they were evenly matched. Both Digimon carried two weapons and were about the same in terms of agility and dexterity. The Gravity based attacks from Hikaglemon's Gravity Cannon could nullify the Holy based attacks that Serangmon unleashed with Arc Wave, being opposite elements. Now, it was a matter of sword play between the two.

Blades clashed as both the Angel Digimon and Eagle humanoid Digimon bounced back and fourth, trying to gain the upper hand against the other. Well, that was Serangmon's intentions in the duel. Hikaglemon remained completely on the defensive, knowing he alone would not be able to defeat this Mega. The combined might of the entire team was needed to end this battle once and for all. With a quick glance, the Mega level Digimon could see his companions slowly recovering from their wounds, ready for more.

"Kenokomon," Tao spoke softly, approaching the Digimon. She looked up, still a bit disoriented from the last attack against her. "When everyone else is ready to attack, use a Silent Scream to stun Serangmon momentarily. That should be all we need to end this once and for all." The Digimon nodded, slowly getting to her feet.

The two blades collided once more, both Digimon locking each other's blades and pushing closer.

"You won't win this fight..." Serangmon grunted, holding his grip over the locked blades.

"What makes you so sure of that?" Hikaglemon challenged, not budging from his position on holding the locked blades.

"Alone, I have already defeated four Mega level Digimon," Serangmon told him. "You are of no concern if I can defeat them with ease."

"No one ever said they were defeat," Hikaglemon commented, pulling back and unlocking his blades from Serangmon's weapons. Before the Angel could realise what was happening, it already begun.

"SILENT SCREAM!"

Once more, that piercing scream entered his mind, stunning him for that split second Hikaglemon needed. The Digimon pulled back his blade, then drove it forward, impaling it into Serangmon's chest. The screaming stopped as a new sensation of pain pierced his system. Just as quickly, Hikaglemon released the blade and leaped backwards.

"All together!" he shouted out, raising his right arm, the twin barrel of gravity energy goodness emerging from the gauntlet. Twin beams of energy ripped throw the sky.

"GRAVITY CANNON!"

Avengemon needed not be told, his blade charging with energy. A black spear of energy blasted from the tip of the weapon.

"ANKOKU BLAST!"

Matalefmon was already on his wings, charging the ball of energy into his reptilian like legs. The ball of energy was lobbed forward at the wounded Angel.

"CHAOS IMPLOSION!"

Hydramon was back, his heads all ready and charging their elemental powers into one massive blast. The quad element energy ball tore through the arena.

"CONVERGING WRATH!"

Kenokomon charged energy into her shoulder blades, adding the final touch to the massive combo attack. Energy rippled through the air from her shoulder.

"SLASH DUO!"

The five attacks hit the defenceless Angel, causing a chain reaction of explosion that nearly levelled the room if it weren't for the extra supports that the four pillars provided. Digi-Destined were knocked off their feet from the resulting explosion and quaking. Smoke hissed from the point of impact. Slowly, it cleared away, revealing the battered form of Serangmon, lying on the ground, rapiers snapped in multiple pieces. His armour was far from being in the mint condition it used to be in.

Serangmon has been defeated.

Fin

****

Completed: 04/18/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	44. Episode 44-Destiny of Infinity

Destiny of Infinity ****

Destiny of Infinity

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

__

The final major threat has been neutralised. Once the Merger program is stopped, there will be no threat to the Real World.

However, we still have to save the Digital World. All this fighting, it slipped out mind, the Digital World is losing life, and the pace of this life lose has picked up.

Serangmon has been defeated, but this adventure seems far from done.

The final major threat neutralised? Doubtful...

~Diary of Tiberius 'GTK' Hartz, fourth Generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

Serangmon slowly awoke from his unconscious state, feeling pain in everyone of his muscles.

"You're finally awake," he heard Harriermon spoke. The Angel's eyes flickered open, seeing he was on longer in the arena, but in the bed in his room. He tried to move, but his body refused to budge under the strain of pain he was in. Slowly, he collapsed back into the bed, unwilling to move anymore.

"Don't try to move, it'll just hurt even more," Tao told the Angel on the other side, he boy's hands bloodied from tending to the wounds.

"I-I am...still...a-a-alive?" he stammered, hurting with every syllable said.

"Don't talk..." Tao spoke, washing his hands off in a bowl of water. The crimson liquid floated on the surface when Tao removed his hands from the freezing water and wiped it off in the towel.

"You can't die yet, you got a hell lot of explaining to do," Harriermon told the Angel, grinning lightly in hopes to lighten the atmosphere. His attempt did little to help.

"I...don't...need...to ex-explain...my...self..." the Angel replied, looking towards the shadowed corner. The Digi-Destined and the Digimon glanced over to the corner, unable to see anything.

"That he shall not," the figure spoke, stepping out of the corner. He was draped in white robes and a hood that covered most of his facial features. The only detectable thing is that he was a young man.

"Who are you?" Tao asked, ready to go for his weapon, but decided against that. Serangmon trusted this individual, so, Tao trusted this man as well. The figure glanced at Serangmon, lowered his head, then sighed.

"Your death is imminent, old friend," the figure spoke softly.

"I...know..." the Angel replied weakly, closing his eyes once more. "Brief...them...on...their...mission....Gen....Gennai..."

"I will make sure you didn't die in vain," Gennai spoke, dropping his hood. Harriermon and Tao were surprised with the appearance of such a figure.

"Harriermon, if you would stop acting so surprised, can you please retrieve the other Digi-Destined and Digimon?" Gennai asked the Digimon. The avian Digimon gulped, the nodded slowly, exiting the room.

* * * * * *

Tiberius sighed, stepping out of the Digital Portal and joining his other three comrades in waiting outside. Marc was leaning against the wall in the waiting room. K.H. was pacing around. Shastina sat in a corner, legs pulled up to her chest. The Digimon accompanied their partners, though nothing was said.

"How is she?" Marc asked, breaking the silence.

"Yasmine will be fine," Tiberius answered. "Took a nasty hit during that conflict, but she'll survive. Botanimon will take care of her back at the store."

"That's good to hear," Marc replied, not looking up.

"...how's the patient?" Tiberius asked next, referring to the seriously injured Angel they just beat the heck out of.

"Don't know, Tao hasn't come out yet," K.H. answered, stopping his pacing. Kinoumon pumped into the base of his foot when the Digimon didn't see his partner stopped moving.

"Oww..." Kinoumon groaned, falling over.

"That Angel has got a lot of explaining to do..." Shastina spoke softly, still curled up in the corner. "He can't die on us...not yet..." Their was a silent, unanimous agreement from the others, still waiting for news from their friends upstairs.

"A-hem..." Harriermon spoke from the entrance of the door. He caught the attention of the others in an instant. "The patient won't make it, but we still have our explanation."

"Wha?" the group asked, confused looks on their faces.

"Just come to the chamber, someone else has the ability to explain it to us," was all the Digimon answered with, beginning his short walk back to the chamber. The other Digi-Destined and Digimon followed silently, anticipating a long and tedious explanation.

* * * * * *

The door of the chamber creaked open, though it didn't distract the boy kneeling beside the bed from his concentration. He spoke a silent prayer, in his hand a the handle for Serangmon's broken blade. Tao placed the shatter piece onto the bed, once occupied by an Angel. The sheets were crumpled, a close observer could see that something used to lie on this bed.

"He's data now..." Tao spoke softly when the remaining Digimon and Digi-Destined entered the chamber. He placed the broken piece on the bed, then soot back up. Eyes fell onto the man known as Gennai that stood in the middle of all of them.

"Who is this guy?" Marc asked, directing his thumb towards the unknown man.

"That's Gennai," Harriermon answered. "And he'll provide us with the answers we need."

"Yes, that I will," Gennai responded, smiling. "I suggest you get comfortable, this might will be quite a long story." The Digi-Destined nodded, finding locations where they were comfortable with. Once they were in order and silenced, Gennai began to speak once more.

"This group is the fourth generation of Digi-Destined, and with this title comes a great responsibility," Gennai started. The attention of all was now his, if it wasn't before. "However, the challenge brought before the new generation was more demanding then anything ever faced before in Digital World history."

"Err...I take it that this wasn't the major threat then," Tiberius asked.

"No, it is not," Gennai answered, getting some disappointed looks from the group of Digi-Destined. Only Marc and Tao remained impassive on the answer. "I hate to admit it, but Serangmon and his two generals volunteered for this."

"What?" came the reply from both K.H. and Shastina, unsure what Gennai meant. Everyone else remained silent, listening.

"They volunteered to train you without you knowing it," Gennai replied. "And by the looks of it, you all passed the test."

"That's sick," Marc muttered under his breath. "We did all this thinking we were saving the Digital World, then we find out it's some sick minded person's way of saying it's training."

"I didn't like the idea as well," Gennai admitted. "However, if you were to fight the real threat unprepared, there would be no doubt that you would have been wiped out."

"How would you know that for sure?!" Kinoumon exclaimed, sickened and infuriated by the facts. Gennai sighed, not enjoying being interrupted.

"Believe me, even in your current state of power, the task at hand is difficult," Gennai told them, silencing questions for a period of time. "Serangmon, Axeramon, Drowsmon, and all those who fought by their side, they knew the risk and consequences, and did their task without fear."

"I will try everything in my power to make sure those who were lost in this conflict will be reconfigured, but there is only so much I can do," the knowledgeable one continued. "But, for now, your task..."

"Screw the task!" Marc exclaimed viciously. Everyone was surprised by the sudden outbreak from the teen. "You let those Digimon die just so we could get prepared for something bigger?! If that's so, you're no worse then those Digimon threatening this world. We might as well defeat you too...make this Digital World a better place to live in."

"Marc, sit down," Tao ordered softly, holding his blade in both his hands. Eyes fell onto Tao when he ordered it, though Marc made no action to stop his anger. In fact, it got him even more infuriated.

"How can you stand up for a monster like him?!" Marc questioned, unable to contain what little composure he had left. "He sacrificed Digimon just for a possible chance at us to help this world!"

"Sacrifices must be made for the greater good..." Tao whispered, still remaining still.

"What?!" Marc exclaimed.

"If you had known of this purpose from the beginning, none of your Digimon would have Digivolved," Gennai spoke once more. "You wouldn't have had all those emotions, you wouldn't have gained your Crests, you wouldn't be in the position you're in now. If you knew, every battle would have just been another 'training exercise' for all of you." Marc was about to protest again, but Tao quickly raised his blade towards the teen, stopping him.

"I don't like it any better then you do, but...if they knew what they were getting into, then...they weren't pawns in the grand scheme of things," Tao spoke softly, lowering his blade. "We can't let their sacrifice be in vain." Marc stepped back, silently admitting defeat and continued to listen.

"As I was saying...the task..." Gennai started again. "There is one thing you must know of right now...This evil you will fight...he is responsible for the Merger..."

"Explain," Tiberius asked, continuing to listen with interest.

"The foe...the Darkness...he is bound by a powerful seal....However...that seal is slowly being eroded, releasing Digimon with immense power. The Darkness himself hasn't been freed yet, though, he is slowly absorbing energy to release himself. Merging the two worlds would allow for an infinite source of energy to feed on, making him unstoppable..."

"How does this explain the Merger?" Tiberius questioned.

"This...daemon...he has the ability to merge the planes together...though it is counter balanced by the immense energy needed by such a procedure. With this, he slowly pulls the planes closer. Right now, however, he almost has enough energy to break free from the bonds that hold him. When free, it will be much easier for him to merge the worlds...and then, with both worlds under his control..."

"You don't need to explain it," Tao interrupted, standing up right. "Where do we go?"

"Infinity Mountain, on File Island," Gennai informed the group. "The rest will have to be explained when you get there..." Tao nodded, wishing for more, but they had to go with what they can get.

"Come on Harrier, let's go," Tao spoke, stepping towards the balcony, Digimon by his side.

"Wha?!" Shastina thought, quickly standing up. "Wait!" she protested, the doors to the balcony opening wide. Tao glanced back, freezing Shastina in place with that stare, then continued forward.

"Harriermon...Digivolve to...Haeromon!"

Tao climbed aboard the Champion level Digimon, glanced back at the staring people, then ordered the Digimon off. In a matter of seconds, they were out of view.

"Why didn't you stop him?" Tigramon asked, stepping beside her partner.

"That look..." Shastina whispered, clutching her fists.

"The Darkness has consumed part of his heart," Gennai told Shastina. "He doesn't want to hurt any of you if his heart is taken completely." Shastina closed her eyes, turned away, and then exited the chambers, leaving the other three Digi-Destined and their Digimon with Gennai.

Marc grunted in disgust, leaving as well after a moment, Xemon trailing behind. K.H. and Tiberius exchanged glances, got up, was about to leave, then glanced at Gennai.

"I wish there was another way to apologise for such drastic measures..." Gennai spoke sadly.

"We all do what we can," K.H. answered, opening the door and stepping out, Tiberius the two Digimon following. Gennai stood alone in the centre of the room, cursing silently.

* * * * * *

Wvyarmon circled around the mountain, anxious to seek the world again after many years of confinement. The dragon like Digimon stopped in his tracks, examining the mountain, and thinking about those underneath.

"Ahh...Wvyarmon, you have finally escaped," the Darkness spoke, surrounding the Digimon with his aura.

"Thanks to your assistance, yes," the dragon Digimon replied. He was gray and thin, not large like other dragons a broad. Thin, but it didn't mean he couldn't pack a punch.

"Good, because I have a task to ask for," the Darkness spoke slyly.

"Name it, and it shall be done," the dragon told the Darkness. Wvyarmon could almost imagine the Darkness around him grinning as his instructions were told.

* * * * * *

"You're late," Tao muttered, glancing up from his position on the ledge of the mountain. His legs dangled over the side as he waited for the other four Digi-Destined to join him high above the island.

"Well, we all don't exactly have an aerial Digimon like yours," Marc hissed, angered still. "Harriermon could have helped transported us here if you decided to stay behind.

"...whatever..." Tao replied, pulled back from the edge and standing up. He turned to face the cave that lead deep into the mountainside. Harriermon stood guard by the cave for no reason.

"Is this what we're looking for?" Tiberius asked, examining the entrance.

"It's the only entrance me and Harrier found throughout the entire mountain," Tao answered. "If that ain't it, I don't know what is."

"Have you gone inside?" K.H. questioned, stepping in.

"Not yet," Tao spoke, following the boy. "I was waiting for you all to show up." There was silence in the group, tension growing high, especially between two Digi-Destined in the team. The corridor was initially dark, though illuminated once more by torches that lined the side. The rocky and rough surface of the sides was slowly replaced with smooth, brick walls.

"Someone must have taken a lot of time to dig this place out," Tiberius commented, running a hand across the bricks. "Artificial...this must be a ruins of sorts..."

"Not a very large one either," Lepumon commented, the group entering a circular chamber. As before, the walls were lined with torches that illuminated the room. However, aside from that, the Digi-Destined could not detect anything significant in the room.

"We came all this way for this?" Tigramon asked bitterly.

"Maybe there's some trick to it," K.H. suggested. "Let's look around, see what we can find."

The small party broke off to examine the room, each pair dedicating a small section of the circle for their examination.

* * * * * *

"What's this?" Tiberius thought, kneeling down by the section of the wall opposite to their entrance. An hour passed since they entered, and no one found anything yet. Shastina and K.H. already gave up on finding something, though the other three Digi-Destined remained diligent in their searching.

"An inscription?" Tiberius whispered, brushing some dust out of the way. "Hey, I think I found something!" he shouted out, getting the attention of all. He continued to brush away dust particles, hollowing out the impression in the stone. After much brushing from multiple hands, paws, claws, and wings, the words were finally legible.

_The power that seals away all those that would destroy the World shall be shattered...and peace will forever be forgotten until the seal is restored to its glory._

The world will fall into Darkness, and only the six powers can replace the seal that has kept those away.

When the body is threatened with infinite pain and suffering, Power will be granted.

When the soul is eaten away, when life is meaningless, Spirit will guide.

When the mind is gnawed at and shatter, Intelligence shall show the path.

When the balance of Light and Dark is restored to the former glory that it once knew, will then Faith and Destiny be drawn fourth to serve.

Unleashing Time, the power of all will complete this shattered power, and, when the power is restored, will the seal be created once more.

"Err...sounds straightforward enough...I think," Tiberius commented, reading over the inscription again.

"Really?" K.H. asked sarcastically. "Care to explain it?"

Small rocks crumbled from the ceiling above, catching the attention of all. A soft rumbling started in the chamber, slowly growing larger in magnitude. Tao recognised the cause first, recalling his first trip to the Digital World.

"Cave in!!" he screamed out. No one needed anymore encouragement from there, all the Digi-Destined and Digimon making a line straight for the exit. The chamber collapsed a few seconds after the Tao and Harriermon got out, the last two in the line of Digi-Destined. Following them was a trail of falling boulders. The entire group dived out of the cave, the boulders narrowly crushing Tao's leg as he slid to a halt on the rough ground.

"Well, that didn't take care of you pests," the voice from above spoke. Eyes went up, seeing Wvyarmon hovering overhead. The side of the mounting was badly charred, multiple blast detected. Tiberius quickly pulled out his Digivice to analyse the Digimon.

_Wvyarmon: A Dragon Digimon. A mythical Digimon that is said to be able to level a small island with his attacks. Main attack: Nova Flare. Level: Unknown._

"Unknown?" Tiberius thought, looking back up. The dragon let out a cocky laugh.

"That's it, you're going down!" both Tao and Marc shouted out at the same time, raising their Digivice. The other three followed suit. Crests blasted out of each Digivice, empowering their Digimon.

"Harriermon...." "Xemon...." "Tigramon...." "Kinoumon..." "Lepumon..."

"Warp Digivolve to..."

"Hikaglemon!" "Hydramon!" "Kenokomon!" "Matalefmon!" "Avengemon!"

"Five on one! What are you going to do about it?" Shastina asked, her confidence growing.

"Five? Hah, just Five Mega Digimon," Wvyarmon commented, grinning.

"What?!" Tiberius exclaimed, surprised by the remark. Five Mega level Digimon was not something to be laughing about.

"That's it, show that Dragon what you got!!" Marc shouted out. The Digimon needed not be told, Kenokomon, Hikaglemon, and Matalefmon taking flight. Hydramon and Avengemon stood in front of the other Digi-Destined in order to shield them.

"All at once now..." Tao whispered, though unheard, he knew the Digimon knew.

"GRAVITY CANNON!" "SLASH DUO!" "CONVERGING WRATH!" "CHAOS IMPLOSION!" "AKARI BLAZE!"

The five attacks blasted towards the dragon Digimon. Wvyarmon didn't seem concerned, holding his ground. The five attacks impacted at the same time, unleashing a massive explosion that blinded everyone for a split second.

"He's gone, right?" Shastina asked hopefully.

"NOVA FLARE!"

From the smoke erupted five large fireballs, large enough to engulf a small house. The five Digimon were taken by surprise, the force of the blast slamming each Digimon into the mountain side. Groans of pain came from the chain of Digimon, each Mega changing back to their Rookie upon hitting the wall. Digi-Destined collected their Digimon, concerned for their well being.

The moment of concern was cut short as Wvyarmon unleashed another Nova Flare at the ledge they were standing on. Rocks crumbled as the ledge gave way. The five Digi-Destined cried out in surprise and panic as they slid down the mountainside into the lands below.

"Mission, accomplished," Wvyarmon spoke, flying off again. The Digi-Destined would bother him no more.

Fin

****

Completed: 04/21/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	45. Episode 45-Power

Power ****

Power

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_An unknown level Digimon? What is this? The dragon took five Mega level attacks, and took it like it was nothing, just a mere annoyance._

This Digimon was big...bigger then a Mega...or something...maybe it is just much more powerful then our combined might...maybe it's a sign...we need to get stronger.

Maybe Gennai was right...if we did go in without any training...we'd be dead...

~Diary of Marc 'Toe' Durron, fourth generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

Tiberius groaned, slowly awakening from his blacked out state.

"Finally up," Marc spoke from beside the fallen boy. The Toronto Digi-Destined sat on top of a rock, Xemon in his arms, also unconscious. "Anything broken?" Tiberius slowly got up, not feeling much pain from his joints.

"Just sore...nothing busted," Tiberius spoke after moving his limbs a bit more.

"That's good, I was worried," Marc commented, sighing. "That was a pretty damn long fall..." he added, looking towards the sky. Tiberius followed his gaze, seeing the mountain they were just on. A massive crater at the side of the mountain indicated the starting point of their fall.

"Yeah...that is pretty long..." Tiberius agreed. He turned to face Marc again. "Where are the others?"

"Lepumon is with K.H. and Kinoumon scouting the area out," Marc informed the boy. "As for Tao and Shas...well...we just have to hope they survived the fall as well..."

"...I see..." Tiberius whispered, looking towards the horizon now. "The sun is setting...wow...it was just rising when we got here...I must have been out for a long time..."

"Yep..." Marc agreed, sighing once more. Tiberius blinked in confusion.

"What's on your mind?" he inquired. Marc looked up from his position on top of the boulder, shook his head lightly, then lowered it again. "Marc...?"

"If we haven't been trained into what we are right now...Wvyarmon...he would've crushed us without a worry...we were lucky to survive as it is..." Marc spoke softly.

"Marc..." Tiberius whispered, seeing the pain in his voice.

"I...I was wrong...we did need that war before...even if I disapprove, we needed it..." he spoke, looking up. "We would have been dead now...if..." He trailed off, unable to continue to lowering his head again.

"Marc...we all make mistakes...and you can't be blamed...we all were...used at that moment...but...it was for the better..." Tiberius tried to reason.

"Many Digimon died...so we can live for at this moment..." Marc spoke softly. "Digimon died for us...the ones we were suppose to protect...deleted...so...we can survive this encounter..."

"Survive..." Tiberius repeated, sighing now. He looked back up. "How _did _we survive that fall? Even if we slid down the mountain side all the way, we would be hurting..." Marc also glanced up, destroying his previous mindset.

"I think I might have been one of the two only conscious during the fall," Marc spoke softly. Tiberius turned to face Marc once more, intrigued to hear the story. "Harriermon Digivolved during the middle of the fall, the other on still conscious during this fall. He caught all of us, somehow...and use his body to protect us from the falling boulders of the resulting blast."

"What happened?" Tiberius asked, looking back up.

"Near the end of the fall, a larger boulder hit his head," Marc concluded, lowering his gaze once more. "He dropped everyone, but thankfully for us three and our Digimon, we landed sort of softly on the ground."

"The others?" Tiberius inquired, concern in his tone.

"Haeromon must've leaned towards them before he lost his own conscious to it. He reverted back to his Rookie a few seconds afterwards, then we hit the ground zero," Marc informed, sighing once more. "To his training, Harriermon got enough strength to Warp Digivolve and then Digivolve once more even after getting beaten up by something, that...somehow is stronger then all our Mega Digimon combined..."

"Stronger...much stronger..." Marc whispered. "So...we need to get stronger...somehow...we must..." Tiberius placed a hand on Marc's shoulder, surprising the teen as he looked up.

"Listen...I know you don't approve of Gennai's methods...but...we have to admit...if it weren't for it...we would be splatters on the ground right now..." Tiberius reasoned. Marc knew that was a fact, despite how badly it hurt him.

"Man...if he keeps that up..." Tiberius thought, watching the boy. Marc had his eyes down towards the ground. "It's eating away at him...slowly...."

Both their Digivices went off simultaneously, revealing the location of a third Digi-Destined within the vicinity. The tracked Digi-Destined was heading towards their location.

"That must be K.H.," Tiberius spoke aloud. Xemon groaned out, aroused by the sudden noise.

"Turn off the alarm clock please..." he spoke softly. "I still want to sleep..." Marc smiled lightly, running a hand across Xemon's back. The Digimon giggled upon the caress, opening his eyes and looking up.

"Time to wake up ya sleeping dragon," Marc spoke playfully. "You've already been asleep for the last ten hours."

"It's already ten hours?" Xemon groaned, slowly sitting up and rubbing the grogginess from his eyes. "Didn't feel that long...didn't feel that comfortable either..."

"Well, considering what knocked you out was a massive blast of fire energy, I wouldn't be surprised," Marc informed. Xemon blinked in confusion.

"What do you-" Xemon started, but cut himself off. "Oh yeah, Wvyarmon...and his blast that knocked out that ledge up there..." The dragon Digimon looked back up towards the mountain, seeing the crater in the side. "Just how did we survive that fall?"

"Eh, it's a long story..." Marc spoke, getting tired of explaining the situation. He had to explain it once to K.H., Kinoumon, and Lepumon, then to Tiberius, and now to his own Digimon. Marc checked his Digivice again to see how far away K.H. was and what speed they were travelling in. "I got the time," Marc commented, beginning the tale for the third time.

* * * * * *

Wvyarmon soared around the mountaintop, surveying the land below. Sure, he had faith he destroyed the Digi-Destined with that last blast, but he saw Harriermon Digivolve and catch all of them, though he was whacked quite harshly with one of the larger falling boulders, dropping the kids once again. Despite that, Wvyarmon didn't truly believe they were dead, at least, not yet...

"Come out, come out, wherever you are..." he chanted softly, swooping down for a closer look.

* * * * * *

K.H. brushed some bushes aside, stepping into the small clearing that Marc used as his campsite while waiting for their friends to recover. The boy and the two Digimon following him were pleasantly surprised to see their awakened companions.

"Tibbs!" Lepumon exclaimed, bouncing forward in delight and hoping into his partner's arms.

"How ya doing, friend?" Tiberius asked, petting the head of his Digimon.

"I was worried sick!" the Digimon answered. "But I know you would pull through. You always did before!"

"It's good to know the Digimon have such faith," Tiberius spoke, smiling lightly.

"Very good they have such faith," a voice range out. Eyes fell onto the source of the voice, a hologram of Gennai showing up between the six.

"Gennai!" the three Humans and three Digimon exclaimed, surprised to see their 'mentor' here.

"No time for small talk, this transmission may break at any moment," Gennai informed them. The crowd grew silent, allowing the Digital being to continue. "First of all, I regret to inform leaving the island will all be but impossible now. An extremely powerful shield was erected in hopes to sealing these new Digimon for a little while longer. It is already a large risk sending this transmission, as it weakens the shield temporarily for the Digimon to escape."

"What's with these new Digimon?" Tiberius inquired. "I'm sure they are stronger then anything ever faced before by any Digi-Destined, period."

"You are correct in that assumption," Gennai replied. "How to begin this...."

"A long time ago, much before there was ever the words known as Digi-Destined, all Digimon were equal. Of course, as time passed, some Digimon grew stronger, others grew weaker, and a chain was established."

"During those years, the chain was refined into what we know today: Egg, Baby, In-Training, Rookie, Champion, Ultimate, and Mega. There was a balance of power as those who were strong fought against each other to protect the world or to rule the world. With these small wars that broke out from time to time, a balance of power was maintained, neither gaining an upper hand."

"However, as time progressed, a select few Mega level Digimon found a way to surpass their current limitations, Digivolving to the next stage in the chain, the rank of Infinity."

"Wars began to rage out, Infinity Digimon crushing all resistance that stood in their way. To protect the weak and helpless, another band of Digimon were chosen to attain this supreme rank in hopes to re-balance the chain of power."

"The effect was catastrophic, the raging war nearly wiping out the Digital World with the amount of power used. Continents were destroyed in mere hours, species annihilated in seconds...The Digital World has fallen into a state of despair and destruction."

"The Infinity Digimon that choose to defend the World saw this destruction, and knew if it continued anymore, there would not be any Digital World to protect anymore. In a last ditch effort, they lured their foes onto a small island. With their combined might, the sealed the Infinity Digimon away, but not without price. The energy they exerted in such a seal deleted all the Infinity Digimon that vowed to protect the Digital World."

"Despite the victory, much blood has been lose. Even to this day, the Digital World is still recovering from the destruction. With the continuing need to battle evil Digimon, restoration is going slowly, but surely. We have what we see now."

"But now..." K.H. interrupted, looking up. "This peace we have, it may be shattered because the seal is eroding...We have already witnessed the might of one Infinity level Digimon, who knows what may happen if the rest of this bunch is released."

"Guess that's why they called it Infinity Mountain," Tiberius spoke, looking up. "It's holding all the Infinity level Digimon in check...or...well...used to...."

"We knew the seal would eventually dissipate," Gennai told them. "However, finding a method of either destroying these Infinity Digimon or permanently sealing them has eluded us all this time. Now...our only hope rests in you Digi-Destined."

"Great..." Marc spoke sarcastically. "We have to fight these Infinity level Digimon with two members short and with lower level Digimon. Anything else you would like to say?"

"Yes, three things," Gennai answered, ignoring the sarcasm in Marc's tone. "One, Tiberius, please raise your Digivice."

"Er...okay..." Tiberius spoke, a bit confused, but following instructions. Gennai raised his left arm, a beam of energy shooting from the palm into the Digivice's screen. After a brief moment, the data transfer stopped.

"This is new data for your Digimon analyser," Gennai informed the teen. "It will hold the information you will need to succeed in this battle." Tiberius nodded, pocketing the Digivice again.

"Number two?" Marc asked bitterly, looking away.

"Number two: to return to the Real World will be impossible," Gennai spoke, saddened.

"Why is that?!" K.H. exclaimed, surprised with the sudden fact.

"The Digital World has gone into a large time acceleration again. Again, one day in the Digital World only means one second in the Real World. We suspect that this has something to do with the eroding seal over the Infinity Digimon, though we have yet to pin point the exact source of such a drastic change."

"That sucks...." Kinoumon commented, saddened.

"And number three?" Xemon asked for his partner.

"Number three: your foe," Gennai spoke. Attention was quickly drawn to this explanation. Even Marc, with his current sarcastic and bitter mood was intrigued by this information. "Have you heard on the one known as Devimon?" Heads shook their negative towards the answer, though Tiberius provided an answer.

"Devimon...the first true opponent of the second generation Digi-Destined...defeated with a powerful Hand of Fate attack from Angemon," Tiberius informed them. "His power grew with the amount of Black Gears he absorbed, as per told from Tao, who heard it from T.K. during his short and deadly trip to Japan..."

"Well informed," Gennai congratulated. "Yes, all he speaks is true...Devimon was defeated here, on File Island against a battle with Angemon. Thus, he was reconfigured, or so that what would normally happen."

"What do you mean?" K.H. asked, stepping forward a bit.

"The Black Gears..." Tiberius answered, closing his eyes. Eyes fell onto the boy, Gennai particular wondered what kind of answer the boy can come up with. "The Black Gears were made either to control a Digimon or to increase the power of the Digimon by a certain exponential. However, by doing so, part of the Digital structure of the Digimon must be reconfigured to handle such a strain, thus one of the first starting operations a Black Gear has upon infecting their target."

"Devimon was defeated after being infused with as many Black Gears as he could, therefore altering his structure far beyond the normal limits. Upon reconfiguration, the system didn't know how to reconfigure him. The data would therefore remain in limbo. This is all theory though....so I do not know how much of this is true. How this certain Devimon can return, I would never know."

"Your knowledge is quite astounding," Gennai commented, nodding. "It is all true, though I am predicting this is from facts you have read in your old analyser." Tiberius nodded slowly, taking his Digivice once more. He would have to study a lot more now...

"To continue, the data should have remained in limbo," Gennai continued. "However, due to the close proximity of the seal towards the battle location, instead of being reconfigured to some place like Primary Village, Devimon was reconfigured in with the seal. In all essence, his data bypassed the seal and fused with another Infinity level Digimon. We suspect, because of this merge, the seal has become eroded. Just the fact alone that his data was able to bypass the seal meant there was a weak point in the shield means this new Devimon would know where to strike in order to shatter the shield."

"Great...we have our work really cut out for us..." Marc muttered, sighing. The image of Gennai fuzzed out for a second before becoming whole again.

"I am sorry, but this transmission may not hold anymore," Gennai informed them quickly. "If you have any questions, please ask now or forever hold your peace."

"Have you seen Tao, Shastina, Harriermon, or Tigramon?" Lepumon asked, waiting for such an opportunity to come.

"I am sorry, but no," Gennai answered sadly. "I will continue to look for them, though I may not be able to inform you of their presence. If I do talk with them, I will tell them all that I have just told you, and to seek you three out." With that answered, the next question came.

"How do you want us to handle these Infinity level Digimon?" K.H. asked, hoping for a simple solution.

"We suspect the easiest way is to just destroy each and every one of these Infinity Digimon," Gennai spoke. "We believe many of them deleted each other since their containment from such a long time ago. Boredom leads to killing, especially with a group like this."

"And how do you propose we destroy these Infinity level Digimon?" Marc inquired, still bitter.

"All I can say is to fight fire with fire," Gennai responded, fading once more. "I'm sorry, but this transmission will have to be cut now. Good luck! I will keep searching!" With those final words, the image of Gennai faded from existence for the three Digi-Destined and their Digimon.

"Fire with fire? How do you propose that?" Marc asked rhetorically and sarcastically.

"I don't know, but something we found might have the answer," Kinoumon informed them. K.H. nodded in agreement, as did Lepumon. The Digi-Destined led the way through the forest 

* * * * * *

"What is this?" Marc asked, watching the rock face in front of them. They hiked towards the base of the Infinity Mountain, only to see an interesting design on the wall. Two swords were imprinted into the wall, both blades crossed over. It was a symbol, though the three Digi-Destined couldn't tell of what.

"I don't know, but it could hold some value of significance," K.H. assessed, stating his own theory.

"I would have to agree," Tiberius remarked. "Though it could also be in all possibility a symbol that some ancient Digimon tribe chiselled here."

"Knock on it," Lepumon suggested. Tiberius blinked once, surprised with the request, but did so. An echoing sound from behind the rock was the response. "It's hollow? What does it mean..."

"It means it will be your grave!!" a cry from above screamed out. Eyes went up as Wvyarmon dived down, unleashing Nova Flare attack.

"Get down!" all the Digimon exclaimed at once, knocking their respective partners down. A crater blasted in front of the wall drawing, tossing dust and dirt everywhere. When it cleared, the Digimon and the Digi-Destined were thankful to still be alive. The three Digimon got up, exchanged glances, then nodded at once. The Digi-Destined knew what the Digimon wanted, even if they were horribly outmatched.

"Lepumon..." "Xemon..." "Kinoumon...."

"Warp Digivolve to...."

"Avengemon!" "Hydramon!" "Matalefmon!"

The three Mega level Digimon took battle stances, ready to protect their companions now more then ever.

"NOVA FLARE!"

Another blast of firepower rocked the surrounding area, Wvyarmon intentionally hitting the mountain overhead. Massive boulders began to fall down from the resulting explosion, knocking Digi-Destined off their feet from the resulting explosion.

"Tibbs!" Avengemon exclaimed, running over the fallen boy and using his armoured body as a shield against the rocks.

"Move, move, move!" Matalefmon recited, picking up K.H. with his reptilian/insect like legs and flying to safety.

"Stay close..." Hydramon told his partner, beginning to blast fall debris with the multiple heads he possessed. Elemental energy beams flared about as rocks were either frozen, knocked away, or destroyed from the Mega level Digimon. Eventually, the hail of falling rock was over.

"You alright, Tibbs?" Avengemon asked, slowly standing up. Tiberius nodded slowly.

"You won't!!" Wvyarmon exclaimed, ramming full speed into the armoured Digimon. There was a cry of surprise that was cut short when the armoured Digimon was slammed into the mountainside. To add more injury, Wvyarmon blasted Avengemon with a point blank Nova Flare.

"Avengemon!!!" Tiberius exclaimed, eyes wide with fear from the blast. Wvyarmon took off from the crater, leaving Lepumon lying there once the smoke cleared.

"That wasn't nice!" Matalefmon shouted out, flying over to the battlefield.

"CRYSTAL PLAGUE!"

The flying Mega level Digimon spewed out mist that continued his deadly attack. Wvyarmon wasn't really concerned, charging another attack.

"NOVA FLARE!"

The blast evaporated the mist coming towards him, surprising Matalefmon the split second before the attack hit him. Like the Digimon before him, Matalefmon flew into the mountainside. He reverted back to Kinoumon before falling to the ground.

"No..." K.H. whispered, clutching his fist tightly.

"I shall make this very painful for you...my dragon friend..." Wvyarmon told Hydramon, smirking. Each pair of eyes of the Digimon's multiple heads narrowed, beginning to spray the area with elemental attacks. Wvyarmon, despite the amount of attacks fired towards him, easily evaded the beams of energy. For ten minutes straight, the two dragon Digimon exchanged attacks, though Wvyarmon was the only one doing damage, slashing at Hydramon with his fly by attacks.

"This...isn't...working..." Marc stammered, clutching his Digivice tightly. He could feel the pain Hydramon was suffering, and he didn't like it at all. Wvyarmon wasn't taking his dragon brethren seriously, deliberating directing his attacks for maximum pain and minimal damage.

"This...isn't...going...to...work...." Marc spoke softly. "We...need...more... The...pain...it's...too much... Hydramon..." Marc looked up to his partner, seeing the pain his Digimon endured all this time. It was infinitely more then anything that Digimon has ever experienced before. "The suffering...must not continue!" Marc shouted out, his Digivice shining with power. The design on the mountainside reacted with his pain and suffering.

__

When the body is threatened with infinite pain and suffering, Power will be granted.

"Hydramon...one MORE LEVEL!" Marc exclaimed. A beam of energy from the wall design struck Marc's Digivice, reflected off the screen, then onto Hydramon.

"Hydramon...Infinity Digivolve to..."

The Dragon Digimon let loose a cry of dominance. His wings grew larger, his body grew smaller, his heads and necks shortened. The legs grew longer, as did the arms. Jade eyes blinked once, emerald scale armour forming over his now humanoid body. The energy ensnaring the wings dissipated, revealing emerald like wings with crimson transparent flaps. A pair of jade scale greeves and gauntlets materialised over his legs and arms respectively. Black hair flowed back, a green headband tied across his forehead. A long spear appeared in his left hand.

"Knightdramon!"

"YOU!" Wvyarmon exclaimed, flying back. The Crest inscribed on the wall now became one with Marc's Digivice, granting more power for his Digimon then ever known before. Tiberius used his upgraded Digivice on the new Digimon before them.

_Knightdramon: A dragon knight Digimon. The Digimon is said to be the one responsible for sealing Wvyarmon during the war. Main attack: Serpent Lance. An Infinity Level Digimon._

"Well, that explains why Wvyarmon is so pissed off at seeing this guy..." Tiberius joked softly, cradling his Digimon in his arms. K.H. did the same with his own Digimon, watching the battle unfold.

"Not this time!" Wvyarmon exclaimed, fear now truly head in his voice. Knightdramon soared towards the hovering Dragon Digimon, lance ready.

"NOVA FLARE!"

"No, definitely not this time," Knightdramon agreed, twirling his spear.

"SERPENT LANCE!"

Stopping his twirl and still going forward, Knightdramon pointed his spear forward. From the tip of the blade, a massive sapphire energy serpent was summoned forth, roaring out in defiance. Flying forward, the dragon like energy Digimon swallowed the Nova Flare that stood in its path.

"What!?" Wvyarmon exclaimed, getting hit full force with the energy serpent. The attack dissipated on impact, but it didn't stop the dragon knight Digimon from continuing.

"Sealing is all to good for you!" Knightdramon exclaimed, ramming his spear right through the throat of the dragon Digimon. Wvyarmon gasped in surprise with the attack, blinking once before becoming bits of data. Knightdramon huffed out, slowly descending back towards the ground.

"And power has been granted..." Marc remembered, closing his eyes. "One down..."

Fin

****

Completed: 04/23/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	46. Episode 46-Spirit

Spirit ****

Spirit

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_So...to fight fire with fire..._

Marc's Digimon has achieved the rank of Infinity, fighting Infinity VS Infinity. In otherwise, we tossed fire back at the fire to douse it. Strange...

We might all have the means to fight with such power...fighting with more power ever recorded in recent Digital history.

I feel like a pioneer, heh.

But there's no time to rest yet...we still need to get more powerful, and some of our companions are missing. We have a lot to do, and not much time to do it in.

~Diary of K.H. 'Nobie' Lai, fourth generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

K.H. studied the bookshelf for a few minutes, trying to find an interesting read within the small selection. He needed to pass some time while he waited for his companions to recover their energy.

"Hey K.H.," Kinoumon asked, walking beside his partner. K.H. looked down, then smiled.

"Feeling better? You took one heck of a blast in that last battle," K.H. asked, forcing a smile. Kinoumon nodded slowly, checking out the bookshelf.

"Who would have known there would be a small home inside the mountain," Kinoumon commented, also checking out some of the books held on the shelf.

"Who would have thought there was a passageway behind that Crest," K.H. rephrased, being just as surprised as his other Digi-Destined companions at the sighting of this passageway once the battle was done. A few minutes walking into the cave they entered a small dwelling that seemed unoccupied. From there, they decided to camp for the night. Strangely, there was a kitchen, and with a little work, the group of six was able to come up with a meal. Albeit not a gourmet meal, it served the needs for the group.

K.H. and his Digimon now stood in the study of this one floor house, examining the books about. The title of one book caught the Digi-Destined's eye. The colour of the book was light green, much like K.H.'s Digivice. On the spine read the title 'The Infinity War'. The Digi-Destined decided to pull it out of the shelf. He was intrigued by the contents this book may bestow.

* * * * * *

"And then, WHAM!" Xemon exclaimed, punching his right first into his left palm. Lepumon fell back in surprise, standing just a tad to close to the dragon Digimon when he punched his hands together. "Wvyarmon didn't know what hit him!"

"So, now that you have hit Infinity, it will be a whole lot easier to beat Digimon!" Lepumon spoke energetically. The two were very excited after their last battle, maybe because of the food the group cooked at ate on.

"Man, kids these days," Tiberius commented, not looking up from his Digivice. He continued to scan the contents of his new analyser. He would have preferred to download the program to his computer back at home, but he had to make due with what he had at hand.

"Kids?" Marc asked, turning around on his chair. He went from facing the Digimon to facing the Digi-Destined that sat across from him at the table. "Those Digimon are hardly kids...teens might be the better word," Marc rephrased.

"Yeah, quite possibly," Tiberius agreed, a bit uninterested in what Marc was saying.

"What are you looking for?" Marc inquired, standing up and walking over to his companion. He looked over the shoulder, seeing Tiberius browsing through multiple Digimon in his analyser.

"Looking for some Infinity Digimon that has enough power to control the planes," Tiberius answered, 'flipping' through the Digimon. "We should be well advised on what this Digimon can do. Any Digimon with enough power to control the planes will be a tough nut to crack." Marc nodded in agreement.

"I take it you haven't found the file for this particular Digimon," Marc implied, blinking once as another Digimon passed by.

"It's harder then you think to find a Digimon with only knowing the fact it can control planes," Tiberius replied bitterly and sarcastically.

"Geeze man, I wasn't trying to piss you off," Marc responded defensively. Marc took a step back, then glanced at the two Digimon once more. The two were expending their energy in the most uncreative yet entertaining way possible: rolling around on top of each other and around the room. Marc smiled lightly, turning his attention back to the Digivice.

"Well, at least they'll fall asleep fast for the night before we set out again," Marc commented.

"What ever we cooked in that batch, there must've have been a lot of Digital caffeine, as it seems only to affect the Digimon..." Tiberius commented, again not looking up.

"Well, I hope Xemon has enough energy and spunk to Warp Digivolve to Infinity when the need arises..." Marc whispered. Tiberius stopped flipping through the pages worth of Infinity Digimon, then looked up at Marc.

"You should _not _Warp Digivolve to Infinity!" Tiberius forced out, though not loud enough for the giggling Digimon to hear. Marc was taken aback by the small out burst.

"Why? What's wrong with that?" Marc asked. He was obviously curious about why he shouldn't allow Xemon to Warp Digivolve to the highest possible rank. Tiberius exhaled, closing his eyes and placing his Digivice lightly on the table.

"Warp Digivolving empowers the Digimon with so much energy that they completely bypass the previous forms," Tiberius explained. "A Rookie level Digimon would be infused with the energy of a Mega, thus forcing a Digivolve to that ranking. Our Digimon could take that kind of strain of energy with no ill effects, but that's for a Mega."

"To Warp Digivolve to an Infinity has yet to be tested. For all we know, Xemon could take the strain, for all we know, he can't. And if he can't...he might suffer permanent damage to his mind. He might even die from so much energy being infused." Tiberius exhaled once more, opening his eyes and facing his companion, checking the expression.

"Well...that's...nice to know..." Marc stammered, placing a hand in his pocket. He felt the Digivice in his hand, sighed, tightened his grip, then glanced down at Tiberius. He was back to scanning through the Digimon that were added to his Digivice.

Sighing once more, Marc departed from the chamber. There was a bit of dryness at the back of his throat, so he decided to go to the kitchen to quench his thirst.

* * * * * *

K.H. flipped through the pages as he mindlessly circled around the study. Kinoumon remained the boy's shoulder, reading with what K.H. was flipping through. The Digimon was barely able to read a sentence before his partner decided to flip the page again.

"K.H., is there anything you're planing to read in this book?" Kinoumon asked, getting annoyed with the indecisiveness his partner expressed with his actions.

"Dunno...it depends," K.H. answered calmly, still circling the room. He continued to flip through the pages of the light green coloured covered book. Filing through the book some more, he stopped flipping pages on a certain article that he deemed interest worthy. Slowly, he approached the desk near the side of the room. It was slightly rotten, but it didn't bother K.H. as he leaned against the desk. There was a slight creaking noise from the table, but again, K.H. paid no heed as he quickly began to read the words that made the story.

"Saviour of Spirit..." Kinoumon read softly, turning his gaze to the words on the page. 

* * * * * *

Marc re-entered the room where he left his Digimon and the Digimon of his companion. Tiberius was still sitting at the table, browsing through something. Marc couldn't tell what on the tiny screen of the Digivice, but he was pretty sure it wasn't the Infinity Digimon anymore.

"Now what are you up to?" Marc asked himself, walking over to his companion and taking a seat on the other side of the table. Tiberius glanced up from his study momentarily, then back down to his Digivice. "Come on, spit it out," Marc persisted. "It's not like I'm going to bite or anything." Tiberius glanced up once more, then back down.

"Show me that new Crest you got," Tiberius ordered, though not in a forceful tone, it still made a mark.

"You mean this?" Marc asked, lifting his Digivice and revealing the Crest. The two sword clashed together as the symbol that embodied the Crest. Tiberius quickly scanned the symbol into his analyser then went to work. Marc quickly got up and was by Tiberius' side once more, watching many pictures and symbols cycle by quickly on the tiny screen of the Digivice.

"What's it doing?" Marc asked, a bit confused with the sudden changing in coloured picture. Marc was beginning to get disoriented, but the Digi-Destined couldn't tell if the owner of that Digivice was.

A soft beep from the Digivice got the full attention of both, the Crest that Marc had now on the screen. The image shrunk and moved to the upper right corner of the screen, data being processed on the screen.

"The Crest of Power," Tiberius read off. "One of the six central energy that was used to seal away the Infinity Digimon. If the seal were to erode, this Crest, as will the other five, will be accessible once more."

"The name...it's so simple..." Marc commented, blinking a bit. "But...if this information is true, then, we'll have to seek out these other Crests in order to be a fighting force against these high powered Digimon." Tiberius nodded in agreement, seemingly lightening up from his previous bitter stature.

"Finding these 'Infinity Crests' before the Infinity Digimon find us will be the problem," Tiberius spoke softly, sighing.

"And we have to look for Tao and Shastina...." Marc told Tiberius, compounding the problems they faced. "Wherever they are..." Marc added under his breath.

"But for now, we should get some sleep..." the other Digi-Destined suggested, checking his watch. "We're going to need a lot of energy searching for those Crests and those other two Digi-Destined."

"Yeah," Marc agreed, yawning to enforce the previous fact. "Someone better tell K.H., and we have to have a guard at all times. I'm guessing three shifts in total for the entire night."

"Sounds like the best idea," Tiberius concurred, standing up. "Get some sleep Marc. I'll tell K.H., and Lepumon and I will take the first shift." Marc was in a middle of another yawn when Tiberius concluded. He quickly closed his mouth.

"Are you sure? Me and Xemon can take the first shift," Marc argued, though a third yawn told otherwise. Tiberius grinned lightly, shaking his head. "Alright, I get the point," the yawning Digi-Destined spoke, punching Tiberius playfully on the arm. "I'll take the third shift then. I hate having to wake up and then getting back to bed again." Tiberius nodded, heading off to alert the third Digi-Destined in the group.

* * * * * *

_And with a cry of defiance, the Digital Monsters raced forward. Massive quasi pronged claws drove into the flesh of the other. Fireballs of mass destruction did nothing more but merely singe their adversary. Snapping jaws cut through armoured flesh like it was nothing. At the end of the massacre, two Digimon remained, their underlings battered, bruised, or their limbs thrown around like rag dolls. Moans and groans of agonising pain and suffering came from the bloody crowd of fallen Digimon, though the remaining two paid no heed. Their battle abilities were no focused on that who was before them._

The battle came down to those two Infinity Digimon, all their Mega and Ultimate level underlings defeated. Severed limbs, pools of blood, stained weapons lay amok, though it did little to distract them.

It was then a lone duel with good versus evil, and only that who wasn't vanquished would be declared the victor. The battle that may be pivotal to ending the war...one of the strongest Infinity Digimon of those that protect against one of the strongest Digimon of those that would destroy...and so this epic battle will begin...and it will end.

Sword cut through armoured flesh, claws shredded robes and slashed across pale skin. The blood of the Digimon were now dominate then all the other amount as a whole, but nevertheless, they continued to fight, ignoring their pains, their injuries, all focused on their goal to destroy the other.

The sword lowered, giving signs of fake defeat. The evil stretched his arms out, his direction towards the dead Digimon that lay before them. The natural barrier around them prevented their corpses from becoming data and leaving for reformatting. The Digimon of good lowered his guard, wishing for a peaceful end to the combat.

His wish was wrong, as data from the Digimon slowly compiled into the evil Digimon. He grinned viciously, his confidence over flowing. The other Digimon raised his claws again, but it was too late...the damage has been done.

With the absorbed Digimon, the evil one drew his blade once more, his strength only equal to his confidence. He struck fast and hard, his strength and speed unprecedented in that battle so far.

A laugh of mocking pride echoed across the cavern and down the chasm below their battle site. The clawed Digimon groaned in pain, slamming a claw down into the stone surface, angered by his own ignorance. This only fuelled the fire of laughter that came from the other Digimon.

In a blink of an eye, the position of Digimon has changed. Before the evil one could react, his adversary was on top of him with renewed vigour. Their was a cry of surprise, followed with a scream of pain. The clawed Digimon drove his vampire like teeth into the flesh of his foe, sucking the energy away.

The tables turned quickly, the clawed Digimon renewed, the evil one weakened. With all his might, the clawed Digimon unleashed a massive ball of energy, engulfing the cavern and scorching walls and ceiling. Corpses that have yet to be absorbed were now all but immolated. A trail of sizzling air followed the ball as it crashed into the bladed Digimon. Despite the effort, both remained standing.

With his final ounce of energy...the clawed Digimon used the spirits of his fallen comrades that were absorbed against the evil one, sealing him away. It was not without cost, as the Digimon had no energy left after his ordeal, even with the amount of strength he siphoned from his adversary. The Digimon fell into a heap, never to open his eyes again. Only the spirits that assisted him remain, keeping the seal for as long as they could.

With those words...the fallen Digimon was known as the Saviour of Spirits.

* * * * * *

"Hey, K.H., you in here?" Tiberius called out, knocking on the door lightly. He peeked into the room, seeing K.H. leaning against a rotting table. The Digi-Destined slammed the light green book shut, turned to face Tiberius, then smiled. Kinoumon was on his shoulder, though he remained expressionless. Tiberius blinked once at the strange reception.

"What's the occasion?" Tiberius asked half jokingly. K.H. shook his head lightly, returning the book to its position on the shelf

"Oh, just an interesting read in that book," K.H. answered, yawning. Kinoumon nearly fell of the shoulder with the sudden action. He quickly caught onto the boy's shirt, clinging for dear life. "Oops..." K.H. spoke softly. Kinoumon giggled lightly, getting a better position on the shoulder.

"Should I ask?" Tiberius asked, then shook it off. "Nah, you can tell me in the morning. Right now, I'm guessing you won't object to any sleep."

"Nope," K.H. responded, shaking his head once more. Kinoumon nodded his agreement, yawning himself in response.

"Good," Tiberius answered, leading the way. "We'll be having a guard while the others sleep. Three shifts, naturally. I'll be taking the first one, Marc volunteered for the third one. I guess that leaves you with the middle."

"Alright," K.H. agreed. He didn't like that position, but there was very little he could about it now. Marc was probably already sleeping by now, and he was sure he couldn't thief the first position from Tiberius. "Oh well, just have to make due," K.H. thought, following Tiberius back to the sleeping chambers. Just predicted, Marc was already snoring, not even bothering wrapping up in a blanket; Xemon sleeping beside his partner. Lepumon was waiting at the entrance of the room.

"Have fun," K.H. spoke, watching Tiberius and Lepumon leave once more to start their shift. Kinoumon leaped off K.H. before the Digi-Destined started to yawn.

"I saw that coming!" Kinoumon exclaimed grinning. K.H. smiled back, deciding on the closest bed to sleep on.

* * * * * *

"Hey, K.H., wake up," Tiberius told his companion, shaking the sleeping mass lightly. K.H. groaned, blinking for a few seconds before he realised his job.

"Oh, sorry..." K.H. apologised, slowly slipping out of the bed. "Guess I was sleeping a little too deeply there." Tiberius grinned, holding a sleeping Lepumon in his right arm. Kinoumon was still sleeping peacefully on the bed when K.H. got off.

"I got a strange feeling Kinoumon can sleep through a tornado," Tiberius commented softly.

"I heard that," Kinoumon responded, faking his sleep for quite a bit, probably about the time since K.H. got up.

"Well, it's good to know you can fake sleep," Tiberius responded. "Faking is so nice." Kinoumon got up and smiled lightly, leaping onto K.H.'s shoulder once more.

"Well, let's go partner," Kinoumon spoke, telling his readiness. K.H. nodded, heading off towards the entrance of this 'house' in the caves.

* * * * * *

K.H. hiked around the entrance, Kinoumon doing the same, just in the opposite direction. The Digi-Destined and the Digimon took their job half seriously, though they knew what had to be done if the need arises.

"Think anyone will attack?" Kinoumon asked, stopping his patrol. K.H. stopped as well, thinking about it.

_Help me..._

"Wha?!" K.H. exclaimed, his voice echoing throughout the cavern.

_Destroy him..._

"Who's there?!" Kinoumon shouted out in this most threatening voice he could muster. The fact those two hollow voices scared the hell out of him didn't help.

_Please..._

"Where are you?!" K.H. yelled out, running deeper into the cavern.

"K.H., wait!" Kinoumon objected, rushing after his partner. The two followed a chain of voices the guided them, though Kinoumon was worried where this passage would lead them.

The two halted at the sight of the chamber they were in now. Torches lined up across the room. The ceiling was so high the light from the torches could not reach. The chamber was massive, just as the light couldn't illuminate the ceiling, their was very little light at the centre of the room. Near the opposite wall of this rough circle like chamber was a dark wall. Despite the two torches beside it, nothing could be seen through that veil of darkness.

"What's this? A Human...and a Rookie Digimon?" a voice spoke. A figure 'stepped out' of the darkest patch at the centre of the room, revealing a black clad person. His hands, the only visible feature aside from the cloak was pale, almost white like a ghost. A sword materialised in his hand, the blade blood red.

_Boukonmon..._

"Shut up you stupid spirits!" the Digimon replied angrily, swinging his sword around. Slowly, white wisps started to appear in the chamber.

"Departed souls with no where to do..." K.H. whispered, looking around. By the count, it seemed like there was a hundred of them in there.

"I may be weak from just breaking out of that stupid seal, but I'm more then match for that Rookie you got there, kid."

"What did you say?!" Kinoumon exclaimed angrily, stepping forward in challenge.

"Rookie, not for long!" K.H. muttered, grinning and pointing his Digivice towards Kinoumon. Energy ensnared the Digimon once more.

"Kinoumon...Warp Digivolve to...Matalefmon!"

Matalefmon flapped his wings together, thankful for the large battleground provided to handle this Digimon.

"Mega? Well, now I'm impressed," Boukonmon replied, raising his weapon. "Show me what you got..." Matalefmon complied, flying forward and slashing with his clawed legs. Despite the six claws attacking, the blood blade the opposing Digimon was using repelled each slash. Matalefmon flew back, afraid of what kind of skill that weakened Digimon was using.

"Is that all? You bore me," Boukonmon told his opponent. "I may be weak, but I have all the means to destroy you right now."

_Leave you wicked creature...you have no right to use us again for your damn needs..._

"Shut up!" Boukonmon exclaimed once more. He jammed his blade into the ground and stretched out his arms.

Cries and shouts of surprise and exclamation came from the spirits. K.H. and Matalefmon noticed the floating souls were being pulled towards Boukonmon, thn absorbed into his form. Then it hit them both: this was the same Digimon that was described in the book.

"Stop it!" K.H. shouted, rushing forward. He paid no regard to his life anymore, if it meant to save these tormented souls from anymore pain and suffering, he would take that chance. Boukonmon looked down at the Human, then kicked him aside. K.H. fell on his bottom, looking back towards Matalefmon. The Digimon was charging energy for a Chaos Implosion.

__

When the soul is eaten away, when life is meaningless, Spirit will guide.

All the torches in the room blew out at once, drowning the cavern in darkness. Eyes fell onto a symbol that was illuminated. The symbol also took shape of a wisp, though much larger. K.H. noticed the symbol was chiselled into the wall, or, well, he inferred that.

The symbol slowly shrunk, then blasted towards K.H. The Digi-Destined fell back in the surprise, the beam of light bouncing off the Digivice screen and into Matalefmon. The Digimon cried out, energy ensnaring him.

"Matalefmon...Infinity Digivolve to..."

The Digimon reformed quickly, reformatting into a two-legged Digimon. He acquired twin pronged feet with slightly bent legs. Sapphire like armour formed over the body. A pair of tentacles emerged from where the arms where supposed to be. At the supposed face area, two eyes glowed to life, one crimson, the other topaz. With a cry of pain, two large quad pronged claws with crimson center emerged from his shoulder on long tentacle like arms. At the same time, a large reptilian head shot out of his spine, also held on a long tentacle like neck.

"Elusamon!"

As if on cue, the torches were 'on' again. Boukonmon eyed the new Digimon, and if they could see the face of this Digimon, they would have seen the surprise on his face.

"PREY GRIND!"

Elusamon lunged forward, quickly grabbing hold of the robed Digimon with his claws. Struggle as he might, Boukonmon would have escaped if his adversary didn't bite into his shoulder with his reptilian head. Boukonmon screamed in pain, just as he remembered how it happened all so long ago.

"It's just like in the book..." K.H. realised, stepping back. Elusamon dislodge his mouth from the shoulder, grinned with that mouth. Heat surrounded the two, Boukonmon struggling, though much weaker, wasn't able to break the vice grip.

"DEFORMATION BLAST!"

Massive energy balls of fire erupted from the crimson part of the claws. The robe was disintegrated quickly. There was a soft cry of pain from the pale Digimon, though his form was unseen, quickly cremated with the fire attack at point blank from both sides. Not even data was left, as the chamber, like in the book, prevented Digimon from escaping. Just as the Digimon disappeared, so did the wisps of souls.

_Thank you...We are free..._

Fin

****

Completed: 04/28/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	47. Episode 47-Intelligence

Intelligence ****

Intelligence

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

__

Two Crests found...and still no signs of our other two companions.

It's already been a day since our 'crash landing' onto File Island. In that one day, anything could have happened to our companions. They could be injured, starving, or maybe...even dead...

I wish not to dwell on such thoughts. We will find them when we will...as when we will find the other four Crests that need to be found.

~Diary of Tiberius 'GTK' Hartz, fourth Generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

"You want me to kick them awake?" Marc asked Tiberius. The other Digi-Destined shook his head.

"But the looks of the dirt tracks and messed up clothing, they ran into something out there last night," Tiberius observed. The two looked down at K.H. and Kinoumon, the two were still soundly asleep despite it being almost noon.

"I wonder what though," Marc spoke aloud, stretching his arms. "I know, let's get Lepumon and Xemon to play in here for a bit. With the breakfast they got, they seemed to be caffeine high." Tiberius chuckled, making way towards the kitchen, where they left their Digimon. Marc would followed behind if K.H. hadn't rolled over. The sleeper's right arm flew lazily over the edge of the bed, his Digivice gripped tightly in his hand. Marc knelt down and saw an interesting symbol on the Digivice.

"Hey, Tibbs, take a look at this," Marc shouted out across the room. Not ever those loud words was enough to disturb the sleep of the Human and Digimon on the bed. Tiberius quickly entered back into the room. He blinked once, then knelt down beside Marc. He saw the wisp like symbol as well.

"It must be a Crest..." Tiberius commented, pulling out his Digivice.

"Which one?" Marc asked, a bit impatient.

"I'm getting to that," Tiberius responded harshly, finally getting a good grip on his Digivice. Quickly, he scanned the new item, the data was quickly outputted on the screen.

"The Crest of Spirit," Tiberius spoke out, replacing the Digivice into his pocket. "An Infinity Crest, definitely."

"Which makes us even more curious about what K.H. did last night," Marc responded, standing up. Tiberius stood up as well, their gaze fell onto the two sleeping figures.

"We'll ask when they get up," Tiberius told Marc. "They must have had some crazy adventure in that short shift time they had." Marc nodded in agreement, the two departing with their consensus.

* * * * * *

Xemon and Lepumon tumbled around once more, again hyper active with the strange food they ate for lunch. Tiberius and Marc just watched their Digimon play around from the table, smiling lightly at the sight.

"It's already two and you guys didn't wake me?" K.H. asked sleepily, stepping into the room. Kinoumon followed behind with the same tired expression on his face.

"Well, they way you looked in your sleep, all beaten up, as well as that interesting new Crest you got, we decided you deserved a lot more rest," Marc replied, taking a sip from his drink. The boy wasn't sure what was in the contents of the cup, but it seemed like the equivalent of Coke.

"What do you mean?" K.H. questioned, yawning once and plopping down at the table. Marc slid a plate towards the half-awake boy. On it was a hamburger. K.H. looked down, lifted the top bun off. "Ketchup, relish, onions, how convenient," K.H. spoke tiredly. He tore the burger in half as Kinoumon leaped onto the table, took one half then slid the plate to his Digimon. Kinoumon nodded in thanks and started to dig in.

"Well...as Marc explained the facts...we suspect you did something crazy out there last night on your shift," Tiberius tried to reason. He wasn't sure if his logic got through to the half sleeping Digi-Destined who was currently eating a supposed hamburger.

"Crazy?" K.H. asked, swallowing part of the burger. "Oh yeah...me and Kinoumon ran into a crazy soul sucking Digimon on our shift...decided it was best to stop that tyranical act, and...with a little help of that Crest you mentioned, Kinoumon hit Infinity." K.H. spoke so casually about it, as though it was of no importance. Both Marc and Tiberius unconsciously agreed: K.H. wasn't awake enough to have a clear mind.

"Well, you can fill us in on the details when you're more awake," Marc reasoned, standing up. Tiberius nodded in agreement, though he didn't stand. Marc decided to head for the entrance of the cave they currently stayed in. He wanted some fresh air in comparison to the slightly damp, musty, and stuffy air inside the cave.

K.H. blinked once, a bit confused, shrugged, then continued to chow on the lunch. Tiberius shook his head, disappointed in K.H.'s dullness, then headed to the counter to grab some more drink that resembled Coke.

* * * * * *

Xemon watched the entrance to the small abode with great concern. Marc left three hours ago and he never returned. He blinked once, then twice, then again, wondering what he should do.

"Worried?" Tiberius asked, stepping beside the Digimon. Xemon sighed, then turned to face Tiberius. Standing by his side was Lepumon, and behind them was the pair of K.H. and Kinoumon.

"Should I be?" Xemon asked, sounding brave, though the other four saw past the attempted deception.

"We all are worried," Lepumon answered. He was about to continue, until both Tiberius' and K.H.'s Digivice went off, indicating a Digi-Destined a few feet in front of them all. Eyes fell onto the door, seeing no one.

"The Digivices are malfunctioning?" K.H. asked aloud, pretty sure his eye sight was still good and he didn't see anything. The others exchanged glances, also with the same problem.

"Marc!!" Xemon shouted out. Once more, eyes fell onto the door. Surprise spawned from the group, a faded form of Marc shown before them. "MARC!" Xemon shouted again, rushing forward.

"Xemon, wait!" Tiberius shouted, chasing after the Digimon.

* * * * * *

Marc blinked once, unsure of his current location. All he saw was a fluctuation of multiple colours around him mostly blue, red, and yellow. A hard and large force against his backed shattered his train of though, forcing him to fall flat onto the ground.

"Marc!" he heard Xemon shout. The Digi-Destined quickly turned around, seeing Xemon standing with the background of kaleidoscope like colours swirling. Tiberius, Lepumon, K.H. and Kinoumon joined them, breaking through the kaleidoscope wall. "I was so worried about you!" Xemon exclaimed, hugging Marc tightly.

"Worried...?" Marc questioned, slowly wrapping a hand around his Digimon partner. "Worried about what?"

"You were gone for three hours," K.H. informed the other Digi-Destined. "We were all worried about you."

"Three...hours...?" Marc asked, wondering whether his friends were crazy or something. He checked his watch. "It's only been a second or so..."

"A second?!" Tiberius exclaimed, checking his watch. "Err...well, that might explain something. We're in an ADT time zone now..."

"ADT?" K.H. inquired, checking his own watch. "But weren't we on the DWT time zone?"

"Were...not anymore..." Marc replied, comparing this time zone to DWT. The two zones moved exactly at the same speed.

"Well, wherever we are..." Tiberius spoke, lowering his arm and looking around. "And if Marc is true in his fact of one second was three hours, then...what ever brought us here...somehow synchronised time with the Digital World."

"How observant," a voice echoed across the plane. Everyone glanced around trying to find the source, but their search led to finding nothing. "I sped up time so I wouldn't have to wait as long for your companions to appear. I changed it back when all of you were present."

"All of us..." Marc muttered, blinking. "Do you mean Tao and Shas are here?!" he shouted out, quickly getting to his feet. He slammed face first into the wall of colour.

"Tsh...how brash," the voice told them. "Unfortunately, no, though I believe they are safe. There is a person, however, that I wish to speak with right now in your party."

"And who's that?!" Marc shouted out angrily. He was disgusted that they still don't have a trace of their friends.

"If there are three birds in a tree, and you shot one, how many birds would be left?" the voice asked, ignoring the previous question.

"What?!" came the reply from K.H., Marc, and the three Digimon, taken aback with the sudden riddle.

"None," Tiberius replied calmly. "The resulting shot would scare away the other two birds."

"Mmm..." the voice hummed, 'nodding'. "Very good. Your group may proceed." With those words, part of the wall in front of them 'melted' away, revealing a dark passage.

"And are we going to go?" Xemon asked, looking up at his partner.

"Why not, we got nothing to lose," Tiberius responded, still calm. He proceeded forward, trailed by Lepumon. The other four followed behind, single file.

"That was one of the three rooms you must travel through. You must overcome the challenge set before you in the next two rooms to proceed," the voice told them as they proceeded through the dark passageway. The bright light at the end of the corridor guided them. "And just a final note, your Digimon can not Digivolve in here, so do not bother trying."

"Just what are you trying to prove?" K.H. asked the walls around them.

"Stay calm and concentrate, we'll need it," Tiberius answered, walking a bit faster.

"Do you get the feeling Tibbs isn't telling us something?" Marc asked the Digi-Destined in front of him when Tiberius was sufficiently away.

"Sort of, but I trust him..." K.H. answered, picking up the pace. He didn't want to be left behind in this dark corridor. Marc and the two Digimon followed suit.

* * * * * *

"Where are we?" Marc asked, looking around. Before them was a small field with a small river going through it. The field was confined within some more kaleidoscope like walls around. There was a dock on each side of the river, their side having a boat that could carry three. On the other side was the passageway out, similar to the dark passageway they just went through. Their entrance, however, disintegrated when they entered.

"Guess we have to make it to the other side," K.H. assessed, his eyes turning downstream. The river flowed into a black section that he wished not to know about.

"Is this supposed to be a challenge then?" Marc asked sarcastically. He made his way towards the boat. Tiberius quickly placed a hand on Marc's shoulder, halting him completely. On that split second, machine gun fire ripped across the area where Marc would have stepped on, across the dock and into the water. The water sizzled, a small grey glob floating to the surface.

"Sentry gun," Tiberius spoke, pointing towards the nearby ceiling corner. As told, a sentry with a pair of chain guns were hanging on the ceiling. "Must be on sensors so that if will go off when someone steps close to that line of fire, quite accurate to, since it wasn't even close to skimming you. And by the looks of the water, it seems to be an acid that burns everything but 'nature', being wood and the mud and grass we stand on, hence the melted bullet."

"Well, we can't swim then..." Marc replied, though he was surprised at Tiberius' analyses.

"And by the bullet holes in the ground, the sentry's arc of fire goes right across the dock," K.H. continued, checking out the bullet holes.

"In other words, we have a predicament," Lepumon concluded, checking out the sentry gun again. It didn't move at all, continuing the watch that little passageway on the docks with murderous intent.

"Yeah, that'll sum it up," Tiberius agreed, kneeling down and thinking up a solution. His gaze followed up the path of bullet holes back to the sentry gun. A blinking red light caught his attention. Testing out a quick theory, he took a penny from his pocket and flipped it into the firing arc. The currency was promptly shot to pieces, leaving a very bent up coin on the dock.

"Lepumon, hit that sentry gun, will ya?" Tiberius requested of his Digimon. Lepumon wasn't sure what it would achieve, but did so anyway.

"SOLAR SPARKLER!"

The golden beam smashed against the sentry gun. Though not making it budge, Tiberius noted the blinking light getting disabled temporarily. With the short moment he had, he tossed another penny into the arc of fire.

Nothing happened to it.

"No problem, our Digimon's attacks will disable the sentry gun for a few moments, allowing us enough time to get onto the boat," Tiberius informed his group, standing back up. He looked back at the other side of the river, then towards the ceiling corner over there. "Just watch out for that sentry gun as well." As told, there was another sentry gun hanging out at the other side.

"Alright, let's move out!" Tiberius commanded, Lepumon promptly smashing the sentry again with an attack. Of course all it did was disable the sentry, though that's all Lepumon had to do. The rest was really quite simple.

* * * * * *

Lepumon blasted the sentry gun one last time, allowing a brief distraction for Tiberius, Marc, and Xemon to cross the trap without it being lethal.

"I don't care what you say, that sentry gun really freaks me out!" Xemon protested, exhaling deeply upon clearing the gun.

"Yeah, well it's over now, so don't worry," Marc spoke, equally as spooked, but not showing it. His gaze fell onto the sentry gun at the corner, the soft flickering red light that was usually on was now off.

"No use concentrating on such trivial matters now, we got to get moving," Tiberius told them all, heading into the next passageway. Lepumon followed close behind, though the other two Digi-Destined and their Digimon weren't as quick to move.

"Is it me, or does he seem to be quite anxious to get this done?" K.H. asked the other Human. Marc shrugged, entering the dark passageway that lead to their next room.

* * * * * *

The trio of Digimon and the trio of Digi-Destined entered the room, similar in the aspect that it was grassy with those kaleidoscope like walls surrounding the room. The room was significantly larger then the previous. A small lake sat in the middle of the room, and in the middle of the lake was an island. On the island was a tall, leafless tree and the passageway to the next area. On the mainland was a small forest, though there was enough opening for the Digi-Destined and Digimon to assess the situation. They approached the lakeside, not wanting to test the 'acidity' of the water.

"I take it we don't want to touch that," Marc spoke out, stepping closer to the edge. Tiberius glanced back at the Digi-Destined, took another penny from his pants, then flipped it into the air. It landed in the water with a resounding 'plop', followed by a hissing and sizzling sound with steam coming out of the water.

"Take that as a yes," K.H. replied for Tiberius, looking around. "There has to be something we can use to help us pass this..." he muttered.

"You mean this?" Xemon asked, holding up a pile of rope with his fist. On the ground beside him was another roll of rope.

"Rope is nice, but how do you propose we use this rope?" Kinoumon inquired, slightly sarcastic, adopted from his companion.

"Err...fly?" Xemon suggested half jokingly. Kinoumon shook his head lightly, disappointed in his companion.

"And ideas?" Lepumon asked his partner. Tiberius knelt down, concentrating on the trees around him, then the rope, then the tree on the island.

"I'm working on it..." Tiberius whispered as his response, his gaze turning between the three. His eyes fell onto the rope, then towards the forestry around them, then to the tree. Finally, he concentrated on the lake before them, then snapped his fingers. "Of course!" he exclaimed, quickly standing up and getting the long strand of rope he needed for this job. Quickly, he tied the rope around the tree, about his eye level, making sure the knot was nice and tight.

"Marc, please do the same with the other amount of rope, just near the base of the tree, and then follow me, and make sure you don't burn the rope!" Tiberius quickly explained, holding the rope tightly and running around the circumference of the lake. Marc didn't argue, though he was a bit dubious about the results of such a trip.

* * * * * *

Marc tied the rope down, finally seeing the finished product of their work. With the fact two strands of rope ran around the lake, eventually, the stretching across the lake, catching against the tree, and then going back around. In the end, it resulted in the rope wrapping around the tree on the island and then back to its starting point. The upper rope provided hand grips while the lower pair of rope proved to be their steps. The Digimon just hung onto their partner as they treaded across, one false step meaning doom.

There was more then one sigh of relief when they crossed over their partially stable bridge. Tiberius, however, regained his composure quickly, as did Lepumon.

"Very good, I would have expected no less," the voice boomed out before Tiberius and Lepumon reached the door. "You're two companions and their Digimon can wait outside." With those words, and without any protest fast enough, Marc, Xemon, K.H., and Kinoumon just disappeared from existence.

"Hey, what did you do with them!?" Tiberius shouted, ready to pounce on anything.

"Just sent them back to the Digital World. Do not worry, they are safe," the voice told Tiberius and his Digimon. "Please proceed, we will have much to talk about." Tiberius cursed under his breath, nodding to Lepumon and continuing into the dark passage and down a long flight of stairs.

* * * * * *

The trek down the stairs was short, leading into another chamber with the familiar kaleidoscope like colours flailing in the walls. Lepumon halted beside Tiberius' foot, the two watching a jester like figure at the centre of this arena like room. The jester wore the usual attire, light blue with white pain over his face. The emerald eyes were seen, a small tear drawn under his left eye. The Digimon jester was probably no taller then Tiberius himself.

"It is good to see you in person, Tiberius," the jester told them. "My name is Tersejmon, an Infinity level Digimon, and, as you probably can tell, I control this small realm."

"Well, seeing what you have done so far...I'm not really surprised," Tiberius spoke aloud. Tersejmon giggled softly, stepping forward.

"I'll be direct," the Digimon spoke, stepping closer. "You think fast and quickly, quite a nice mind you have there. I want to help you..."

"Help him?" Lepumon questioned defensively. "How?"

"Oh...just by..." the Digimon paused for a short period of time, grinning under his white makeup. "Taking your mind!" A sharp pain pierced Tiberius' mind, forcing a loud scream from his system.

"Tiberius?!" Lepumon cried out, surprised with the change of visage from the Digimon. "You're going down!" the Rookie Digimon shouted out, Tiberius' Digivice reacting on its own.

"Lepumon...Warp Digivolve to...Avengemon!"

The Mega level Digimon charged forward, blade slashing. Tersejmon broke his hold over Tiberius to dodge. Tiberius glanced up slowly, only to be hit again with two pangs of pain in his mind. Avengemon glanced back, tightened his grip on the blade, and dashed to where Tersejmon landed, slashing madly again. Once more, the Digimon dodged, three pangs entering Tiberius' mind now.

His screams halted, his thoughts shattering into a million pieces. He was alone, in the dark. Before him, fire twirled around him, lightning surrounded him, water splashed over him. The fire collected into one ball, sailing at eye level a few inches away from Tiberius. The water quickly overcame it, and just as quickly lightning struck the water, and on that strike, fire wrapped around the lightning bolt. All those actions paused, forming a collage of three elements. Tiberius blinked once.

__

When the mind is gnawed at and shatter, Intelligence shall show the path.

Tiberius collected his Digivice and raised it towards the image. Slowly, it downloaded. The Digi-Destined knew the Crest, he read it in his analyser.

"The Crest of Intelligence," he muttered, glancing up at the battle. Tersejmon paid no heed to Tiberius anymore, just went and pounded Avengemon with all his might.

"JES ORB!"

A blast of sapphire energy crashed from the ground and slammed into Avengemon, knocking him back.

"Avengemon, time to fight back!" Tiberius shouted, raising his Digivice. "Digivolve!" The new Crest shined with power, engulfing Avengemon.

"Avengemon...Infinity Digivolve to..."

Avengemon raised his blade upwards, a bolt of lightning striking the tip. In a flash, his armour fluctuated with energy. The sword and hand became one, the blade growing larger. His left hand began to morph as well, changing into a large shield. At the tip of the bottom of shield grew another blade, slightly smaller then his new right arm. The shield was painted red and silver with white streaks. The armour began to reform too, now showing a red crest that resembled something Roman on the chest plate. The new Digimon spread his arms out, sprouting large steel feather like wings from his back. At the same time, a segmented tail shot out, swinging around.

"Titanimon!"

"BLADE SIEGE!"

Titanimon wasted no time in his new form, getting right down to business. He flapped his wings back, directing the tips of his feathers towards Tersejmon. In that split second, a dozen sharp titanium feathers soared towards the Jester. The nimble Digimon was able to evade easily though, leaping into the sky.

"JES ORB!"

"QUASAR BLADE!"

The sapphire energy crashed against the raised left shield of the Digimon. It did little to the defensive apparatus as the shield collected energy to use. In three seconds Titanimon raised his right blade arm, pointing it towards Tersejmon, the jester still soaring through the sky. Energy transferred from the shield into the right blade, the weapon glowing crimson for a moment. In the next moment, the beam of crimson energy erupted forward, engulfing the humanoid figure of the jester completely. Tersejmon fell through the beam, though the damage was dealt. The Digimon huffed, angered.

"JES ORB!"

He fired yet another sapphire energy burst. Titanimon, deciding to finish this, dashed forward, gliding on his wings. He deflected the attack away with his shield, then spread his arms out and backwards.

"ULTIMATE SWORD!"

Both blades glowed with crimson energy, much like the Quasar Blade attack. Tersejmon stepped back once, fear clear in his eyes.

Titanimon slashed across once with his left blade, slashing upwards with his right, then skidded to a halt. Tersejmon's eyes went wide, his body falling apart under the power of six slashes. Each single slash was actually three consecutive attacks, causing triple the pain.

"Damn...it...." Tersejmon cursed, slipping into sixteen different parts before becoming data.

* * * * * *

"He's been gone a long time..." Kinoumon muttered, watching the space that took them to the alternate dimension in the first place. There was silence, followed by wide eyes, then cheers of delight as Tiberius and Lepumon slowly faded back into existence.

"Miss me?" Tiberius asked, grinning. On his Digivice was the lightning striking water that engulfed fire that surrounded lightning. The Crest of Intelligence – the third Infinity Crest to be revealed.

Fin

****

Completed: 05/04/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	48. Episode 48-Destiny and Faith

Destiny and Faith ****

Destiny and Faith

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_He's been out for quite a while now. I guess I've lost track of time...to worried about him. I know his right arm is broken...and I did what I could to tie it up, but I don't think it helped._

Strange how he seems to be prepared for a situation like this...it's like he was expecting it to happen.

No time to worry about the good points...he's still unconscious...

~Diary of Shastina 'Prism' Lawson, fourth generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

"Will he ever wake up?" Tigramon asked the Digimon standing beside her. Harriermon shook his head slowly, stating what little knowledge he had at the current situation.

"He took a pretty hard fall," Harriermon explained. The two sat on a tree branch in the dense forest they and their partner's were in. Shastina kneeled on the ground, Tao's head on her lap, body laying flat. He was unconscious, his right arm tied with some bandages and a splint. "On the way down, I went for him first, but he was still a bit conscious, pointing towards Shas. So...I went for Shas first, then the others, then to Tao...but...by the time I reached him, he was out, taking a hard bounce off the mountain side." Harriermon sighed deeply, disappointed with his performance in that position. "I should have went for him first..."

"You did what you could," Tigramon reasoned. "You shouldn't beat yourself for it." Harriermon shook his head quickly, his tone turning harsh.

"I should be able to catch you all! Instead...I was too slow...and now..." the avian Digimon paused, looking down at the ground below where the two Digi-Destined were. "Now...Tao might not even get up for a long time...let alone swing a sword..."

"What are you saying?!" Tigramon exclaimed, reeling back. "You think Tao is in a coma?!"

"Quite possibly!" Harriermon shouted back, sighing once more then stepping back. "Sorry..."

Their conversation was interrupted with a short groaning sound from below. Both gazed down, Tao slowly squirming back to reality.

"Tao!" Harriermon exclaimed, leaping down from his position on the branch.

* * * * * *

Shastina wrapped her arms around Tao's head lightly, the soft groan from Tao awakening her completely. The blade of the Digi-Destined leaned against the tree where their Digimon rested on, unscathed despite the fall.

"Shas...it's hard to breath like that..." Tao joked lightly, smiling, his eyes still closed. Shastina smiled back, releasing her grip. Tao raised his left arm, running that hand through Shastina's hair before opening his eyes.

"Sorry to worry you like that..." he apologised, not wanting to get up yet. "Guess it couldn't be helped..."

"Tao..." Shastina whispered softly, pulling the left hand of Tao away from her hair and clasping it in both her hands. "You're safe...that's what matters the most..."

"Safe, but not uninjured..." Tao replied softly, glancing down at his bandaged arm. "I guess it was a good thing I packed those bandages in my vest, though I never expected it would be used on me," Tao added, chuckling lightly. Shastina giggled lightly, still kneeling down and making no effort to get up.

* * * * * *

"Harriermon, stop!" Tigramon hissed, pausing the avian Digimon. He glanced back with a confused look.

"What?" he asked, hovering overhead.

"Let them be alone, they really need it..." Tigramon reasoned, glancing down. "We'll keep watch, that's all." Harriermon didn't quite fully comprehend, but he got the basic gist of things. He flapped back onto the branch and continued to watch diligently.

"Remember the last time we were up on trees watching them," Harriermon asked.

"How can I forget...it was...so strange..." Tigramon answered, saddened by the memories. "We almost lost her...and we almost lost you and Tao as well in the aftermath..."

"Now, it starts the same, only this time, Tao is down, and...if history repeats...it will be you and Shastina to disappear..." Harriermon assessed.

"Let's hope that doesn't happen," Tigramon retorted, sighing. They continued to watch.

* * * * * *

"Oh...Tao..." Shastina whispered, not giggling anymore. She sniffed once, a small tear falling down her cheek. Tao slowly sat up with a little help from Shastina. When he was up, Shastina wrapped her arms around his body then buried her face into his should, releasing herself. She cried and cried and cried onto his shoulder, Tao remained still, stunned with the response she gave him. "I thought I lost you again...I never knew when you would wake up...then I though it would be never...then I lost hope...oh...I'm so sorry Tao..."

"Shas..." Tao spoke softly, unable to say anything to her. She continued to sob into her shoulder, unwilling to contain herself anymore.

"It's been a day since that fall...and not once since that day did your eyes open," Shastina sobbed out. "You didn't move, you didn't squirm...you were so calm and motionless in your unconscious state...I...I thought I lost you forever there..." Tao slowly wrapped his arms around her, trying to help her calm down, still unable to say anything.

"You had a heart beat...but...I was afraid it would die at any moment...then..." she sobbed, still against Tao's shoulder. "Oh my God, Tao...I lost all hope...I'm so sorry...I...I..." she couldn't finish herself, her emotions taking over for her. Tao slowly patted her back with his unbroken arm, unsure what else he could do to soothe the pain of his companion.

* * * * * *

"I take it that's Infinity Crest number 3..." Marc asked, glancing at the new symbol. The three elements striking each other was an interesting touch to the Crest.

"Yep," Tiberius answered, pocketing his Digivice after a few more seconds of showing off the Crest. "So, for the three of us, our goal of finding Crests is complete. Now, we have to find Tao and Shas, and if they haven't found their Infinity Crests yet, help them dig it up."

"Sounds like a plan," K.H. agreed. "Of course, do we do it now, or do we do it tomorrow? It is already quite late, and I'm pretty sure the previous owners of this small abode wouldn't mind us spending another night." Marc checked his watch, then outside the cave entrance. The sun was already beginning to lower.

"Spend one more night," both Xemon and Lepumon spoke at the same time, answering for their partners. There was an unspoken consensus from that point in, the six headed back into the small one floor abode built into the cave.

* * * * * *

Shastina finally stopped crying, her exhaustion putting her to sleep against Tao. The boy somehow managed to position himself back against a tree. His broken hand lay by his side, his other arm wrapped around Shastina's sleeping body, who's head lay against his chest.

The sun was already down, and the only source of illumination was a small campfire in the middle of the two humans and two Digimon, now down from their tree. The two seemed the intentionally take the opposite side of the fire from Tao and Shastina. The weapon of Tao's lay flat on the ground beside the campfire, reflecting some of the light and heat of its shiny surface.

"Get some sleep, I'll stay guard," Tao told the other two Digimon. They didn't move, only continued to stare into the fire silently.

"Okay...whatever..." Tao muttered, closing his eyes and pressing his head against the tree. His gaze was towards the sky when he re-opened his eyes.

"I wonder if this fire will attract any attention..." Tao thought, blinking once. "If it does...I won't be able to use my sword with this broken arm...and we couldn't even handle one...whatever that was with five Mega Digimon. What can two Mega Digimon do to this new breed?" He sighed lightly, closing his eyes once more and turning his gaze back down to the ground. When his eyes opened, he was facing his bandaged and splint broken arm.

"I guess it's a good thing Harriermon and I went back to the Real World first for a bit of supplies..." Tao thought next. "Though I never expected these bandages to be used on me," he told himself once more, smiling lightly. Again, he sighed, closing his eyes and pulling Shastina closer, her body trembling a bit, probably to the cool wind of the night.   
Try as he might, he couldn't move his right arm.

Slowly removing his arm from around Shastina, he struggled to get his Digivice from his pocket without waking Shastina. It was difficult, considering she was sleeping on his pocket, and just to make it worse, on _top _of the Digivice, but Tao managed. He exhaled, a bit tired from the 'ordeal', then checking the time.

"Midnight..." he whispered, flipping through the time zones. Eventually, he hit EST, his own time zone from the Real World. "Well, if that really was Gennai in my dreams while I was unconscious, then he was right...we go back to the Real World, all will be lost," he told himself, referring to the fact EST time didn't move since his last check about an hour ago. The boy then flipped open his Digivice, receiving new mail. The message was directed towards himself and Shastina, from Tiberius and the others.

_Tao, Shas, one of you, I hope you get this._

Please reply soon if you do. Sorry to not e-mailed earlier, but we got so side tracked that we completely forgot about the option of e-mail to contact you.

And yet again, we hope you get this e-mail. Reply soon, we need to regroup and work out a new strategy. Well, that's assuming your in any condition to actually see this e-mail after that fall. I really hope so. If not, get well soon...there's a lot to say.

Where to begin...where to begin? There's Crests right now...and then there are Infinity Crests. The Digimon we are fighting right now all are Infinity level Digimon. So, I guess you can figure what that means. Infinity Crest = Infinity Digivolve = Infinity Digimon. We're not sure if you found these Crests yet, but Marc got his yesterday, as did K.H., well, more like in the middle of the night. I got mine recently, though that gives our trio a complete set. How about you?

Anyway, I've talked long enough. Hope your respond soon.

~Tiberius 'GTK' Hartz

Tao chuckled lightly, closing his eyes and leaning back again. This will take him a bit of time to compose his e-mail with only one hand.

* * * * * *

Marc remained at the table in the kitchen, yawning a bit, but refusing to go to sleep yet. His Digivice remained in his pocket, Tiberius' Digivice was open before him. K.H. and Kinoumon had the first guard shift this time, though Marc still didn't want to sleep.

"Anything?" Tiberius asked, stepping into the room, rubbing his eyes tiredly. The boy agreed on second shift, and his time was about now when Marc checked his watch.

"Not a reply y-" Marc was interrupted by soft hum from Tiberius' Digivice. The Digivice's owner quickly came over, a new e-mail being received.

"Wow...that's a lot of spelling mistakes," Tiberius commented, thankful he downloaded a spellchecker onto the limited hard drive of the Digivice. He auto corrected the letter, then read it out loud.

_How's it going team? Well...I would've e-mailed too, except for the fact I've been out cold for the past 24 hours plus some. Don't mind the incredibly bad typing, I'm not even going to bother correcting this letter. My right arm is busted up, and my left arm is wrapped around Shas, so, it's more then a bit difficult to type._

Anyway, back to the point at hand. Yes, we do need to get back together, and fast. It doesn't seem like either of us has an Infinity Crest yet, so, if we get attacked now, it'll be pretty messy...

We'll try to find ours as soon as possible, but right now, I don't even know where we are. All I know is that we're in a small clearing in a forest. Dunno if that helps, but anything is better then nothing.

Hope you guys got a nice place to sleep...it's hard to sleep like this with back against a tree. Oh well. Until next time.

~Tao 'Blitz' Lee

"Well, at least both of them are okay...sort of..." Tiberius commented.

"Sort of..." Marc agreed, taking out his own Digivice. "Get Lepumon up and take your shift, I'll write a response," Marc told his companion. Tiberius nodded, walking back into the sleeping chambers to get his partner.

* * * * * *

Shastina's eyes fluttered opened, yawning lightly. She felt the warm body of her close friend hugging her.

"Up now, sleeping beauty?" Tao asked, smiling a bit. Shastina looked up and smiled back. Her features changed when she noticed the weariness surrounding her companion.

"Have you been up all night watching?" Shastina asked, concerned now. Tao didn't respond, glancing down at his broken arm. "I'll take that as a yes," Shastina answered, sighing. She glanced at the embers of the fire, then across to where the two Digimon still slept. Her gaze fell onto the unmoved blade of a Digi-Destined, then back to Tao himself. "Sorry...I didn't mean to offend you..." Shastina apologised, lowering her head.

"There's nothing to apologise for," Tao responded, not looking up. "You were just concerned, that's all." Shastina remained silent, not wanting to make eye contact with Tao, nor did Tao want to make eye contact with Shastina.

* * * * * *

"You sure know how to sleep," Harriermon commented when Tigramon started to awaken from her slumber. She blinked groggily.

"It's been a rough night...enough said," the cat like Digimon replied, shaking her head fiercely. She blinked a few times to focus her sight. She noticed Shastina sitting back a tree, alone, legs pulled up to her chest. Across the way in the clearing slept Tao, obviously not getting any sleep from the previous night because of his guard duty. "I take it Shastina is sad because we inadvertently placed Tao under such a position of guard duty."

"That'll be the best way to sum it up," Harriermon commented, sighing. "But there was little choice. Tao is a very stubborn kid...and even I don't know much about him...he's got a lot boiling inside of him...he's holding it all in, for himself and for everything everyone else puts on him..."

"You mean he's a loner?" Tigramon asked.

"More then that," Harriermon answered. "He thinks he's the one man army. Anything can be done by himself...and that's what gets him hurt...but he doesn't mean it. He does it so others don't have to take the risk."

"So he doesn't rely on you then?" Tigramon asked, a bit surprised with the story.

"He knows when he needs me, but until then, I guess I try to stay out of his path as much as possible," Harriermon replied, sighing and glancing back at his partner.

* * * * * *

"_I always worry for you. I just wish you'd be more open to me...like how I'm always open to you."_

"Eh...it doesn't matter..."

"It does! I'm always putting all this stress on you that should be mine, and you don't do anything back. It's not fair to place all this burden on your shoulders!"

"*Shrugs* I don't mind."

"Tao...please don't say that. It's no fair."

"Life's never fair. All you can do is take the hit and endure."

Shastina replied that certain chat in her mind all so long ago. It was probably a few months before their encounter in the Digital World, a chat she and Tao had. That conversation on-line always bothered her. It opened her up to a reality that Tao might be more troubled then she ever was.

"Of course my life has been made just by meeting Tao in person, though I wish it wasn't like this," Shastina whispered, pulling her legs closer. She glanced at Tao's sleeping form, then looked away.

"He's always looking out for others and making sure no one is looking out for him..." Shastina thought, closing her eyes. "He's right...life is never fair..."

* * * * * *

Tao awakened quickly, sensing an evil presence near by. Since the few close encounters with these evils in his past adventures, he grew attuned to sensing them out. Seeing the uselessness of his sword arm, his hand headed for his Digivice.

"I see you've grown to sense the presence of darkness and evil..." the voice boomed out, getting the attention of all now.

"When you've touched darkness and evil like I have, you grow to be like that..." Tao replied, standing up. "Now what do you want?!" The two Digimon and the single Digi-Destined glanced around quickly, trying to find the source of the voice to no avail.

"I want to...recruit you...Tao Lee...the minion of both Light and Darkness..." the voice boomed out. "Of course it means you lose all your memories and become a mindless slave for the Darkness," he added in a joking and sarcastic tone.

"NO!" Shastina protested. "I won't let you!" she screamed, taking her Digivice as it charged with power. Tao's Digivice did the same, forcing both their Digimon to Digivolve.

"Harriermon..." "Tigramon..."

"Warp Digivolve to..."

"Hikaglemon!" "Kenokomon!"

"You can't fight what you can't see," the voice told them. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Akuenmon, a Fallen Angel Digimon, an Infinity I might add, so even if you were able to fight, you wouldn't stand a chance. Anyway, enough chit chat, time to change sides, Tao Lee..."

Energy of evil began to collect a few feet above the burnt out campfire. Slowly, it accumulated, until it reached a mass so much even Shastina could feel the presence of Darkness because of her Crest of Light.

"You're mine!" Akuenmon shouted out, the ball of energy blasting forward and hitting Tao dead centre in the chest. He screamed out in pain, evil and dark energy lashing out at him as the ball exploded. He was tangled in an array of dark tendrils, forcing him to his knees.

"Tao!" Shastina shouted, rushing over. Kenokomon and Hikaglemon would have joined her if Akuenmon didn't reveal himself to them, a black coloured armoured Digimon, humanoid of course with pitch-black wings. Most of his facial features were covered by a blackened helmet similar to Angemon and Angewomon. He had long brown hair with black streaks coming from the back of the helmet.

"Most so fast, my celestial friends," Akuenmon told them, standing in between them and their partners. "I don't intend to let you two interfere with this process...admittedly slow and painful."

"Tao..." Hikaglemon hissed, clutching both his blades tightly. Without anymore thought, he rushed forward, weapons charged with holy energy.

* * * * * *

"Shastina...please...don't...come any...closer..." Tao hissed, weakening by the second to the energy.

"Tao...don't do this!" Shastina cried out, holding her fist tightly. Tao was in pain, and she could feel it. With her Crest of Light, she could feel the Light fade from Tao's Crest, and turning into something new, something dark and deadly.

"You...can't...help....me..."

"I won't let you do this alone!" Shastina protested. "You've been doing everything alone all this time! You didn't burden anyone with your problems and yet you burden yourself with others! I won't let you anymore! We're together! You aren't alone anymore! I'm here for you, forever!"

With those words, she stepped into the tendrils of Darkness, evil and impure thoughts and energy entering her as well.

"Shas...no..." Tao spoke, but couldn't say anymore. Shastina glared at Tao, then hugged him tightly, her Crest of Light shining brightly against the ensnaring darkness.

"I'll protect you now...as you have always protected me..." Shastina whispered in his ear. Her Crest of Light joined with Tao's Crest of Light, re-empowering the Crest with holy energy, as well as taking some of the dark energy into her own Crest.

__

When the balance of Light and Dark is restored to the former glory that it once knew, will then Faith and Destiny be drawn fourth to serve.

Two comets spiralled onto the island, crashing right beside the two Digi-Destined. Upon impact, the tendrils nullified, releasing the two Digi-Destined from the binds. From the craters emerged two Crests. One Crest was a pair of angel wigs, the other as a pair of hands clasped together. The angel wings entered Shastina's Digivice, the clasped hands into Tao's Digivice. Both exchanged looks, nodded, then activated the new Crests. Beams of light emerged from their Digivice and hit their partner.

"Hikaglemon...Infinity Digivolve to..."

The Digimon stretched his wings and his arms out, leaning back. Holy energy wrapped around his wings, changing the eagle like wings into white Angel wings with black specks. The armour he wore morphed into pure white. He pressed his two blade together, the ensuing light forming a single blade that extended out to being eight feet long. A red band was tied to the hilt. He swung the sword once with his right hand, stretching out his left. In response, the arm was replaced completely with a bionic limb, a silver shield attached to it. On the shield was etched the symbol for the new Crest. His blonde hair flailed with the wind, as his sapphire eyes gazed ahead.

"Eternamon!"

"Kenokomon...Infinity Digivolve to..."

The Digimon grew an extra foot to fourteen feet, completely surrounded with Holy energy. Her arms and legs appeared from the energy, revealing a bipedal Digimon that could just as easily trot on four limbs instead of two. On her arms were large paws that had long, sharp, curved claws. Her body was muscular and surrounded with short silver fur. She roared out, shattering the energy around her head. She bared sabre tooth tiger like fangs as well as glowing white eyes. Dragon like horns formed on her head, and a long dragon like tail, at the end of the tail was a double sided scythe. Two blades of holy energy formed in her paws.

"Psychemon!"

The two Infinity Digimon faced off with the lone Infinity, ready to fight, though the Digi-Destined's Digimon were a bit tired from their recent beatings from the Infinity. Nevertheless, it didn't deter their spirit, nor did it deter their will.

"EARTH SOUL!"

Psychemon took the first attack of the three Digimon, dissipating her energy blades, then smashing her first into the ground. Chunks of earth just seemed to jut out and want to swallow the fallen angel Digimon alive. In response, the Digimon soared up, evading the ground-based attack.

"DARK GAIA!"

The counter attack came quickly from Akuenmon, releasing a ball of dark energy that seemed to tear through reality itself. Eternamon paid little heed, dashing forward through the sky, the eight foot board sword in his right hand alone. With his left arm shield, he repelled the ball, then proceeded to attack his target.

"FAITH SLASH!"

Holy energy charged into the weapon, and with one strong strike, Eternamon slammed his blade into Akuenmon. The angel cried in pain, landing on the ground, on his feet, a large gash in his left shoulder.

"COLD FURY"

The Holy energy blades already reformed in Psychemon's hands, now charged with ice energy. Slashing randomly, ice shards linked against the fallen angel, freezing him on the spot temporarily. Enough for Eternamon to finish the job.

"ETERNUS ANGELUS!"

Eternamon strapped the board sword against his back, lowering his left arm towards the fallen angel. The outline of a cannon appeared underneath the arm, materialising quickly. The cannon was large, about four times the size of the bionic arm, with multiple barrels at the end. Placing his right hand on the cannon, the angel directed the weapon towards the frozen fallen angel.

Beams of energy began to rain down in a tornado of energy. Holy energy blasted out of the cannon, the barrels cycling though as more and more energy rained. The beams pierced armour, wings, and flesh. The onslaught stopped as holy energy charged. The air around rippled with the sundering heat, even if it was Holy energy. In one gigantic assault, all the barrels of the cannon fired at once, unleashing a massive particle beam that could feasibly engulf a young adult in its wake. The blast took Akuenmon to a place far from where he'll taint anyone else with evil.

* * * * * *

Psychemon took hold of Tao's broken arm, lifting slowly. She regarded it, smiling lightly, though it seemed weird with her sabre tooth tiger like fangs.

"FRIEND'S SACRIFICE!"

Energy went from Psychemon to Tao in a blur, healing the broken limb in a matter of seconds. On the downside, with the help, Psychemon reverted back to Tigramon.

"Thanks," Tao replied, smiling lightly and unwinding the bandages from his arm. Shastina came over, Tao's weapon in hand.

"Where to now?" Shastina inquired, Tao taking the weapon. Harriermon stood by her side, awaiting a response.

"We got our Crests," Tao spoke. "Let's find Tiberius, Marc, and K.H., then work out our plan of action from there." The others agreed, the Digimon taking point, followed by Tao. Shastina was about to follow, but paused slightly.

"Tao, I won't leave you...I'll always be here...so...please...don't be alone ever again..." Shastina thought, closing her eyes. "Please..."

Fin

****

Completed: 05/11/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	49. Episode 49-The Root of Evil

The Root of Evil ****

The Root of Evil

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_Five Infinity Crests...Five Infinity Digimon..._

The set is complete. Now all we need to do is find each other, then find the root of this evil, and rip it out so it can't hurt the Digital World or Real World anymore.

Let's hope we find it before it finds us...

~Diary of Tao 'Blitz' Lee, the lost Destined

* * * * * *

"What does the e-mail say?" Shastina inquired, looking over Tao's shoulder, now healed, at the Digivice in his hands. The group of Digi-Destined and Digimon decided a short break was in order after about two hours worth of walking. They stopped beside a small river, where their Digimon sipped the untainted fresh water supply. Tao scrolled back up at the e-mail, reading the contents out loud.

_Well, it's nice to know your both safe. I guess it's time to fill you in on the details._

If you haven't noticed yet, going back to the Real World isn't really an option. As aforementioned, if you haven't noticed, time seems to have stopped in the Real World. Actually, it's just going really slowly in comparison to Digital World Time.

Second, Devimon is back, and he's not very happy. Gennai filled us in with quite a few details. Devimon apparently merged with another Infinity Digimon, though he hasn't been released from the seal as of yet. Or maybe he has, but just hasn't revealed himself to us. Either way, we know what's going on, and I'm sure you both know who this Devimon is. You know how deadly he can be if left alone to gain power. As you may be able to tell from this, we know who we have to beat to stop this Digimon from destroying both worlds.

Given these facts, Gennai and his group erected a powerful force field around the island. This is to prevent any Infinity level Digimon from escaping the island until either we stop the threat or until the shield is shattered. Right now, between the three of us here, we've destroyed three Infinity Digimon. Hope you guys get to smash some too, becuase Gennai suspects the best way to contain the threat is to destroy it. He also believes that many of the Infinity Digimon deleted each other while in stasis behind the seal, thus making our mission a lot simpler.

Just keep your eyes peeled, alright? We never know when we might get pounced on by Devimon...or whatever he is right now...

We're hanging out in a cave at the base of Infinity Mountain. Join us when you can, we'll keep our eyes open around there and mail if anything drastic happens.

~Marc 'Toe' Durron

P.S.

If you do have your Infinity Crests now, don't try to Warp Digivolve to the Infinity level. Your Digimon might not be able to handle the strain of the energy, maybe even killing them in the process. Don't take that chance.

"Well, in total, that'd make four Infinity Digimon deleted," Tao spoke to Shastina, composing a response for the other three of the group. "And by the angle all of us fell from that ledge on Infinity Mountain, we probably fell facing the same side," he assessed, still typing.

"So, if we just keep going towards the mountain, we'll hit that cave?" Shastina inquired. Tao nodded, satisfied with the e-mail and closing his Digivice.

"In theory, yeah," Tao responded, pocketing the item. "Let's take another five minutes as our break, then we'll go."

* * * * * *

_Given that, we've disposed of one Infinity level Digimon, and at the same time retrieved our two Infinity Crests. That completes the set then._

Keep an eye for us, we're heading over to Infinity Mountain now, unless another Infinity Digimon wants to kill us.

Like you said, if anything happens, we'll mail.

~Tao 'Blitz' Lee

Marc closed his Digivice after reading the contents aloud to his companions. The trio and their Digimon stood outside, keeping an eye out for their other friends now.

"They're coming? We should roll out the red carpet," K.H. joked, standing up and stretching. "Are we just going to wait here for their arrival then?"

"It seems most appropriate," Tiberius answered. "If we move out now, we may cross paths with them, or we may take separate paths and end up missing each other completely."

"Well, not moving is generally the best idea un-" Marc spoke, until he was very rudely interrupted with the rumbling ground. The rumbling eventually grew into a tremor that nearly knocked the Digi-Destined over.

"What was that?!" Kinoumon exclaimed, regaining his balance. In response, in the forest nearby, a massive pillar of light erupted from the ground, splitting lush vegetation. The beam smashed against the shield, releasing shock wave after shock wave of energy. The barrier around File Island flickered, trying its best to hold its form. Eventually, the beam stopped, the shield fluctuating one more time, then reverting ot its normal state.

"I don't know, but I bet it's got something to do with that!" Lepumon exclaimed, glancing back at Tiberius.

"Let's check it out!" Tiberius shouted, making a quick e-mail to his friends.

* * * * * *

Tao glanced up quickly, his left hand curling up into a fist. Shastina was by his left side, noticing the sudden move, and was about to inquire. Tao's eyes went wide, sensing the presence of an evil...the same evil wanting to taint him all this time.

"GET DOWN!" he screamed out, knocking Shastina aside. On cue, the ground ripped open from where they stood, as did a large chunk of it. A split second later, a pillar of light tore through the sky before them, smashing against the shield. The shield cried in pain as it barely held off the assault. Harriermon and Tigramon were up ahead, quickly returning back upon seeing the light.

"Harrier, Digivolve!" Tao shouted out, pointing his Digivice towards his partner. If his senses were true, they'll need firepower...and a lot of it...

"Harriermon...Warp Digivolve to...Hikaglemon!"

The Digivolve was complete, as was the beam of energy that smashed against the shield. Tao quickly flipped open his Digivice, about to write an e-mail, until he received one.

_If you two didn't see that, I don't want to know what you were doing._

We're going to investigate. Care to join us?

~Tiberius 'GTK' Hartz

"We're there..." Tao muttered, quickly writing a response then getting up. He helped Shastina up, then gripped his blade tightly. "Hikaglemon, one more level please," Tao spoke, raising his Digivice once more.

"Hikaglemon...Infinity Digivolve to...Eternamon!"

A loud and hellish laugh from the large crater that was created startled everyone but Tao.

* * * * * *

_Join you? We were right beside the damn thing!_

Get here fast, we're going to need a lot of firepower...and I mean a lot...

~Tao 'Blitz' Lee

"That's not cool!" Marc exclaimed, his brisk walk turning into a sprint. "If Tao's hunch is right, we better not loiter around anymore! Xemon, Digivolve up! Marc's Digivice sprang to life.

"Xemon...Digivolve to...Vormon!"

"And one more!" Marc told his Digimon, loading up the Crest of Hope.

"Vormon...Digivolve to...Millenimon!"

"Alright, now we're talking!" Marc cheer, climbing aboard the dragon Digimon. The others followed suit, clambering onto the much larger holy dragon.

* * * * * *

"I was disappointed when that attack didn't penetrate the shield, but it doesn't matter," the voice spoke from the crater. "I'm free now."

"Devimon..." Tao muttered, readying his blade. "The evil that infected me all this time came from you..."

"Tigramon...better Digivolve," Shastina whispered, a bit of a way back from Tao and Eternamon. The Digimon nodded, Shastina's Digivice charging with power.

"Tigramon...Warp Digivolve to...Kenokomon!"

"Kenokomon...Infinity Digivolve to...Psychemon!"

"I'm impressed you were able to sense that attack of mine before I actually performed it," Devimon spoke, his voice echoing below. "I guess my influence upon you has made you stronger then I expected, though it was all towards the wrong goal."

"Then that's just your bad luck," Tao growled, unwilling to step down. The daemon that made him what he is now, the one that made him hate and bloodthirsty for those he cared. The thing that made him part evil. Tao couldn't step down, he wouldn't step down, he'd rather die then to let this...thing control him.

"Yes, just my bad luck," the daemon agreed, not emerging from the crater. "Oh well, it can easily be rectified by ending your feeble existence."

"Go ahead and try it," Tao hissed, not afraid to face the enemy. In all essence, he should be scared out of his wits. But the way he was tormented by this Digimon, he could never forgive Devimon.

In response, the daemon reeled his ugly head to the Digi-Destined and the Digimon. The twelve-foot tall form of Devimon leaped out of the crater in an instant. He retained the tall and thin bony like form from his battle against the second generation Digi-Destined, however, his main body was clad in thick dark armour. Around his thin arms was a large pair of gauntlets, just as thick as his armour. On each of the gauntlets was a large axe head, the blade arcing towards his elbow, nearly touching his shoulder. At the tip of each gauntlet was a sharp three-pronged claw. He had a quad set of wings, all pitch black as the night sky. His face was hidden behind the shield of a knights helmet, also clad completely in black.

"D-D-D-Devimon...?" Shastina stammered, looking up at the figure twice her size. Devimon and Psychemon went toe to toe in height.

"No, not Devimon!" the daemon shouted out. It was a wonderment how those bony legs of his could support such a heavy form. "Kakonmon!"

"Kakon...?" Shastina muttered, referring back to her little Japanese knowledge. "The root of evil?"

"WAKE OF DESTRUCTION!"

Tao eyes went wide as he dived out of the way, the other two Digimon around him leaping aside. The ground the three stood over ripped open like before, also releasing a large pillar of light that could possibly toast a Digimon, and would definitely roast a Human alive. The beam was nothing in comparison to the first one that Kakonmon used to try to break the shield.

Just as quickly as the retreated, the two Digimon leaped at their adversary, weapons baring down to slice their foe to ribbons. Eternamon slashed with his eight foot long broad sword, while Psychemon dived in with her holy energy sabres in hand. Kakonmon just raised both his arms up, the large axe like blades on his arms easily blocking the sword attacks from both sides. Tao, trying to catch the daemon off guard, lunged forward, his sword ready to pierce the armour.

"So pitiful," Kakonmon told them. He forced the two Digimon around him away by using his strength and pushing the two Digimon away. At the last second, the brought his three pronged claws together in front of Tao's blade. The weapon couldn't wave past the web of steel Kakonmon made with those sharp arms of his. "You think you can beat me like that," Kakonmon hissed, clearly disappointed now.

"Shut up!" Tao shouted hatefully, pulling back and slashing with a strong cross cut. The attack, however, was easily deflected by Kakonmon's left axe blade. Another quick follow up with an overhead slash from Tao was only stopped by the claw on Kakonmon's right arm.

"Hateful, aren't we?" Kakonmon joked dryly. Tao stepped back, sword clutched tightly in his right hand, his left fist curled up tightly.

"EARTH SOUL!"

Kakonmon quickly glanced right, Psychemon slamming her gigantic fist into the ground.

"WAKE OF DESTRUCTION!"

The two attacks met at the centre, a massive beam of light ripping through the ground as mud and ground was tossed up and away, as a result from the collision of shock waves.

"ETERNUS ANGELUS!"

Kakonmon quickly glanced up, seeing Eternamon overhead, his cannon drawn. The daemon quickly leaped out of the way as holy energy beams punched holes into the ground. In the air, Kakonmon spread out his quad wings, diving forward at Eternamon. The daemon's claw was only stopped by the cannon that Eternamon raised as a shield against the sharp item. Kakonmon quickly pulled away, Eternamon tossing away the weapon. The cannon evaporated in the air, returning to the dimension it came from and awaiting summon again. Eternamon drew his eight good long broad sword.

"NEXUS SHATTER!"

Kakonmon raised his left arm, the three-pronged claw shooting out. Eternamon dodged one spike, blocked the other, but the third drove into his left arm. Thankfully, the metal plating on the bionic left arm absorbed some of the force, though it was still enough to stun him. The three claws reformed on the hand in a surge of energy.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!" Psychemon screamed out in a war cry, jamming her blade straight into Kakonmon's back. She was about to jam her other blade in, but Kakonmon swung his right arm back, the large axe blade cutting through air. Psychemon was forced to block the blow instead of attack or force losing her head to the massive weapon. The impact of the weapons force Psychemon back, pulling the weapon away from the armoured body. Following up on the swing, Kakonmon rotated a hundred and eighty degrees, thrusting his right claw towards Psychemon's midsection. Once more, Psychemon blocked, using her partially bloodied blade.

"NEXUS SHATTER!"

Psychemon was in the air for a quite, due to her powerful jump as well as the fact Kakonmon's attack were forcing the non-aerial Digimon to stay in the air. The blocked claw from Kakonmon quickly shot out, three spikes thrusting into Psychemon's midsection. She cried in pain, finally beginning a decent back down to the ground, though with a lot less control then she'd like. Her body hit ground with bone crunching force, and if she were anything but a Digimon, she would have probably died from that. A short groan escaped her lips however.

Kakonmon then turned his attention to the Digi-Destined with the sword. Tao still was angry, and refused to run from the battle, even with the odds stacked against him. He raised the blade slowly, an emerald glow surrounding the weapon.

In one lightning fast movement, Tao swung the blade, a green arc flying through the air towards the hovering daemon. Kakonmon grinned slightly, though it was covered behind his knight helmet. He swatted the attack away with his right axe blade like it was nothing. Tao gasped in surprise.

"You amuse me, boy," Kakonmon remarked, raising his left arm, sunlight reflecting off the steel-organic claws. "Of course I am afraid I have to end this game now." With those words, he dived down, left arm raised, claw directed towards the Digi-Destined.

"Tao, no!" Shastina screamed out, petrified on the spot with fear. Tao himself was also petrified, flabbergasted with his repelled attack.

Kakonmon's claw made contact, but not with his intended target. Eternamon flew into the way, the three claws driving right into his chest.

"Stupid Digimon," Kakonmon muttered, pulling his claw out. Blood dripped from the weapon, the daemon driving his other claw into the torso of Eternamon. The Digimon made no cry of pain, his body stiffened with pain. Retracting that claw as well, Kakonmon used his left hand in a backhand punch against Eternamon, slicing through his cheek with the axe blade and knocking the Digimon down. Still no cry, as though his tongue was ripped from his mouth. Kakonmon raised his left claw again, directing it towards Tao, but then stopped.

"It's time..." he muttered, the voice muffled against the helmet. "That stupid boy...that stupid angel...time for them both to die..."

"Stupid boy? Stupid angel?" Shastina questioned, wondering what the heck Kakonmon was muttering.

"Just what is he talking about?" Tao asked as well, softly. Suddenly, the truth dawned against him. "T.K. and Patamon!?" Tao exclaimed, hoping for an answer.

"You catch on quickly," Kakonmon remarked, a soft sapphire aura surrounding him. "Time to say good bye to Digital History."

"Digital History...?" Tao repeated, now confused.

"He's...going to erase and re-write history...?" Shastina wondered, watching with interest, though she was pretty sure she wouldn't like the answer to the puzzle.

"Wait..." Tao muttered aloud, an idea finally dawning on him. A certain ability that some Infinity level Digimon could posses. At this point in time, Infinity level Digimon could possibly do anything.

"Have you finally figured it out?" Kakonmon asked mockingly. He wasn't in a rush, being as it is, Tao couldn't hurt him, and the other two Infinity Digimon were beaten into submission.

"Being Infinity, a special type that you merged with," Tao started, surprised if Kakonmon can actually pull it off. "You have the ability to open rifts through time, and since you hold a personal grudge against T.K. and Patamon for defeating you so many years ago, you want to settle that score, and you know nothing the second generation Digi-Destined can do will stop you," he concluded. "Assuming you can open a rift," Tao added quickly, in a sort of mocking gesture. If Kakonmon could open a portal, Tao would do everything in his power to prevent him from going back.

"You underestimate me, Digi-Destined of Light and Darkness," Kakonmon commented, raising his left hand. The aura around him slowly grew brighter, and then, Tao realised all this time, the daemon was opening a portal. "Good bye, it's been nice knowing you," the daemon commented, turning his back and stepping away from the two Digi-Destined. His form began to flicker.

"NO!" Tao screamed out, tightening his grip over the blade and rushing forward. "I won't let you!" he exclaimed, driving the blade right through the armoured back of the Digimon. Tao's anger towards the Digimon made that brash decision.

"Tao, don't!" Shastina shouted out, stepping forward, but it was too late. Kakonmon and Tao already fazed out from existence, the portal taking them both into the past.

* * * * * *

Shastina watched over the campfire, eyes staring into the heart of the fire. Harriermon lay still nearby, his wounds healed thanks to one healing from Psychemon, though the Digimon was still knocked out. Tigramon was sleeping beside her partner. The other three Digi-Destined were sprawled around, all sleeping as well.

Midnight crept around quickly, though Shastina wasn't sleepy. She was too worried to be sleepy, worried about her close friend: Tao.

The other Digi-Destined arrived a few moments afterwards, barking out questions to determine the cause of what was going on. Eventually, Tigramon explained it all, Shastina too shocked with the turn of events to speak. She has been like that since that moment with Kakonmon and Tao.

"Please...Tao...please be alright..." Shastina prayed, clasping her hands together and closing her eyes. "Please..."

Fin

****

Completed: 05/19/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	50. Episode 50-Searching for Time

Searching for Time ****

Searching for Time

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_What do we do now? We may have the Infinity Digimon, but we don't have the capacity to travel through time. I'm guessing Tao got sucked into the same vortex that took Kakonmon back in history._

It's now Tao's responsibility to make sure T.K. and Patamon don't die while we search for a solution to this predicament. I only hope we can found our solution soon...who knows when time will run out...

~Diary of Tiberius 'GTK' Hartz, fourth generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

Tao slowly regained his consciousness, his bones aching, his muscles sore, but his sword still tightly gripped in his hand. Slowly, he looked up, tired of having his face stuck against the dirt ground. The weapon he carried was stained with Kakonmon's blood. The dabs of red that marked blood on his blade were going dry due to time.

"How long have I been out for...?" Tao asked himself, shaking his head violently. The dizziness from the ride was still with him. "Kakonmon must have ditched me on landing...or maybe we got separated upon hitting the past. I don't think he'll let me live after what I did to him..." Tao jammed the blade into the ground, using it as a stand to help him get to his feet. His legs wobbled under the weight of his body, but they held.

"Well...time to start looking for my prey..." Tao muttered, removing the sword from the ground and staggering off.

* * * * * *

"Hey, Shas, wake up," Tigramon spoke into Shastina ears. The female Digi-Destined groaned lightly, slowly awakening after her long night watching the stars. "We got a guest, and his speech may be good for you to listen to."

"Huh?" Shastina whimpered, still tired from her sleep. She rolled over, blinked once, then noticed a holographic image of Gennai standing over the now burnt firewood. The other Digi-Destined sat around the figure, waiting for Shastina's attention.

"What he says could help us get Tao back," K.H. told the half-asleep Digi- Destined. Well, former half-asleep Digi-Destined. Upon hearing those words, she basically bolted to attention, as though injected with caffeine, without the adverse side effects.

"You know how to hit a chord," Tiberius joked lightly, turning his attention back to Gennai.

"Chords should be easy to hit between those two," K.H. replied, getting a slight blush from Shastina in response.

"Before we go completely off topic," Gennai interrupted, getting the attention of all now. "I send this transmission now for one main reason: the energy signature for Devimon's form seems to have just disappeared. We're assuming one of two things for this. One, you vanquished Devimon; or, Two, Devimon is some how eluding our sensors. I also seem to note Tao has disappeared, so, currently, we are leaning towards the second option. Also with this assumption, we were able to drop the shield strength down a bit to allow for a clear transmission to penetrate without worry. Anyway, we await an explanation."

"The second option is more correct, though not completely true," Tiberius informed the image of Gennai. "Devimon, now formally known as Kakonmon with his merge with an Infinity Digimon, has opened a rift through time...and is currently seeks revenge against the Digi-Destined and Digimon that defeated him in the first place on File Island. That is how he eludes your scans – he no longer exists in this time frame."

"Open a rift through time?" Gennai inquired, a bit surprised with the information, but not caught completely off guard. "That would explain a great many things, most predominately why the time in the Digital World was forced out of synchronisation from the Real World in the first place."

"You mean you never expected Devimon's new form to be able to control time like it has?" Tiberius asked, taken aback slightly when he noted Gennai's slight surprise.

"Unexpected, but we shouldn't be so surprised," Gennai told them, regaining his composure. "Infinity Digimon in the past had such abilities to manipulate time, or rip into alternate dimensions. It is a sort of surprise that a Digimon could get as powerful as to tear through time, however. That might be the wrong word, it has been unprecedented in Digital History."

"Well, if we don't find a solution soon, there might not be a Digital History to talk about!" Marc exclaimed, inpatient for an answer.

"Calm down," Xemon told his partner, almost restraining the boy.

"As mentioned before, such an incident has been unprecedented in Digital History," Gennai repeated, sighing softly. "To come up with a quick solution may be impossible." Hopes dwindled for a moment, before Shastina came up with an idea, or at least a memory.

"What about that...message we read inside Infinity Mountain?" she suggested, trying to recall the lines and words.

"Shas, let me see your new Crest," Tiberius told the Digi-Destined. Shastina blinked once, but complied, showing her Crest. A quick analyses from Tiberius proved his theory true.

"The Crest of Destiny," Tiberius muttered softly, the shape of the symbol imbedded in his mind since he looked through his analyser.

"Unleashing Time, the power of all will complete this shattered power, and, when the power is restored, will the seal be created once more."

Tiberius recited the line, also burned into his mind since that day. "That is the last line of that...I guess prophecy. Power, Spirit, Intelligence, Destiny, and Faith have been revealed as Crests, each of us acquiring one. Time, however, has yet to be claimed."

"And would this be our solution?" K.H. asked, a bit dubious, but so far, those words on that slate up there have yet to go wrong.

"It might certainly will be," Gennai answered. "According to record, a long time ago, a small experimental Crest was tested here, on File Island. This Crest emphasised Time."

"However, on the first test of the Crest, it exerted too much power," he continued to tell. "So much power was used and released from the Crest that the Crest itself was not able to support it. The Crest ended up shattered, and the experiment scrapped. From that experience, we knew we were not ready to play with such likes as of yet, and will probably never will."

"But now, we might just have to revive that experiment," Marc spoke softly, calming down greatly. "Using something we shouldn't tamper with just to stop with someone willing to tamper with such like. Sort of ironic, isn't it?"

"Ironic, but prudent to the cause," Gennai informed them. His image flicked once. "The Crest was divided into four, convenient for your party. Two parts scattered in the north, another two in the south. I'll let you decide who would go where, but be quick. We're all counting on you." With those final words, Gennai's image flicked out of existence once more, for good until his next transmission.

"He's right, it is convenient for us," K.H. agreed, turning towards the other Digi-Destined. "Who goes with whom on which side of the island?"

"I'll opt to go with Shas," Marc spoke first, before anyone else could make a suggestion. "I made a promise to Tao to watch out for her, and it seems like I'll have to do it again." Either Shastina or K.H. would have protested to the idea if it weren't for the quick explanation on Marc's part. "And since we're currently on the southern half of the island, Xemon can fly us to the northern half."

"Sounds like a plan," Tiberius agreed, standing up. "The more time we waste, the more history will change." He didn't need to add anymore. The group knew they had to break, and break fast. Digital History was counting on them – time was of the essence.

* * * * * *

****

"Marc..." Shastina whispered, hoping their Digimon in front wouldn't hear her. The two were quickly on the northern part of the island, searching for whatever it was that might represent the Crest of Time.

"What's wrong?" Marc whispered back, somehow inferring that Shastina didn't want the attention of their Digimon.

"I guess...thanks for all the help you've given me," Shastina told the Digi-Destined. "You've been there for me when Tao couldn't. I...I just wish I didn't have to burden either you or Tao with my problems. I'm...sorry..."

"Hey, don't apologise," Marc retorted, a bit surprised. "Tao was always the type to stick his foot out for anyone in trouble. I guess I just adopted that motto from him, plus I made a promise to him that'd I take care of you when he's not around. I don't intend to back out of a promise with my best friend yet."

"And for that, I thank you," Shastina told Marc gratefully. To compound her gratitude, she kissed Marc lightly on the cheek, stunning the male Digi-Destined momentarily. Giggling, Shastina dashed up to catch up with their Digimon, Marc close behind, still stunned, but able to move.

* * * * * *

"Any ideas where to start looking?" K.H. asked his companion on their journey to find the fragmented Crest. Lepumon trotted in front of Tiberius, Kinoumon walking beside him. Directly behind them were the two Digi-Destined.

"Not a clue," Tiberius replied. The pair of Digimon and Digi-Destined were walking parallel to a fast moving river, trying to find a bridge of sorts to help them cross the obstacle. "I'm more concerned right now of knowing _what _we are looking for instead of where to look for it."

"It's the Crest of Time, right?" Kinoumon asked, looking back. "How hard can it be?"

"And what can the symbol for the Crest of Time be?" Tiberius asked. "A clock? A sand clock? Maybe a sundial? How about some long piece of string in some winding motion? How can we know for sure what this Crest looks like? And it's fractured too, which means we might not be even to recognise the Crest. It could be right in front of our face and we'd pass it."

"Geeze, man, calm down," K.H. hissed, silencing his companion. "Have faith, have hope, we'll find those two pieces." Tiberius did not respond, he only remained quite, still uncertain of their hopes, but didn't want to disturb the mood anymore. The group continued to walk without saying a word.

* * * * * *

"Any ideas?" Shastina asked Marc, the group walking through a dense jungle.

"Nope," Marc answered calmly, leading the pack for no particular reason. Xemon was behind him, Shastina in between the two Digimon.

"What's the plan then?" Xemon inquired.

"I haven't the slightest idea," Marc answered, equally as calmly. Somehow, his calm tone kept everyone alive with his or her belief on finding the solution.

"So, we are just going to walk around mindlessly until we find our target?" Tigramon asked, wondering what kind of reaction she'll get.

"Probably," Marc answered, just as calmly as his last two responses. The fact he did that sent a brief giggle from Shastina.

"I don't see how you can be so calm, but I guess that's you," Shastina commented, regaining her composure.

"Yep...that's me..." Marc replied, looking back and smiling.

* * * * * *

The sound of running water under their feet was only shattered with a blaring siren from K.H.'s Digivice. The group was crossing over a rope bridge they found when the event happened, nearly knocking them off balance because of the rickety bridge.

"What was that all about?" Kinoumon quickly asked upon reacquiring his balance on the bridge. "Wait, don't answer yet. Get _across _the bridge first, then we'll talk." The others agreed quickly, hurrying across before the bridge would collapse under their feet. It didn't collapse, much to the dismay of their paranoia. "_Now _answer the question – What the heck was _that _for?"

"I really don't have any idea..." K.H. replied, taking his Digivice. The detector on his Digivice found a signal of non Digi-Destined proportions, though no one in the group knew of what it was.

"Speculation?" Lepumon asked his partner, looking up at him.

"None, but we should take a look," Tiberius responded and suggested. "This might help us in tracking down one of the two fragmented Crest of Time pieces. If so, then this will not be as hard as I'd first thought."

"Getting more confident now, aren't we?" K.H. joked, punching Tiberius' arm lightly. Tiberius didn't admit it verbally, he knew K.H. was right. His confidence levels were going up.

"Let's just find this energy signature and get it over with," Tiberius finally responded. "Besides, I am curious why the energy signature only registers on your Digivice, and not mine."

"A nice thought, but I suspect an ulterior motive," K.H. joked some more, taking point with Digivice in hand and not allowing Tiberius to retort, _assuming _he'll retort. Tiberius just shook his head lightly, grinned, then followed behind the pair of Digimon trailing K.H..

* * * * * *

Marc, the Digimon, well, everyone in the group, jumped at the sound of the alarm going off in Marc's pocket. Quickly, the Digi-Destined retrieved his Digivice from that pocket, wondering what all the racket was all about. Upon contact, the Digivice stopped blaring, and on the screen was a powerful signal that only his Digivice could pick up.

"Is that what we're looking for?" Shastina inquired, looking over Marc's shoulder.

"Beats me, but it seems like a lead," Marc replied. "I am suspicious of why it only affects my Digivice, but I guess we'll find the answer soon enough. We should be able to make it to that location soon."

"One lead is better then no lead," Xemon recited, smiling. "Go ahead Marc, lead the way. You'll be the only who can now." Marc nodded, taking point once more and leading the group to the location of the energy signature.

* * * * * *

"We should be standing right over it..." K.H. commented, checking his Digivice once more. Their travel to the energy signature took them to a small abandoned and desolated temple. The roof was ripped off, walls were crumbling, only a few marble pillars remained of what the group believed to be a once magnificent structure.

"Right over it?" Kinoumon asked, looking around the partially destroyed floor underneath them. Dust and mud overlapped marble floors over the years of decay.

"Do we have to dig for it?" Lepumon asked, walking around one of the supposed support pillars.

"Maybe it's on the wall," Tiberius suggested, running a hand through the dust ridden stone. "The signal is here, so the Crest fragment could be anywhere around, assuming it is a Crest fragment."

"Well, let's just search and find out," K.H. replied, heading towards the wall opposite of Tiberius. Upon touching the wall, the wall began to tremble, prompting K.H. to step away in surprise. In the next moment, the wall was toppling towards him.

* * * * * *

"Is this the place?" Shastina asked, stepping beside Marc, their Digimon in front of the pair.

"Sure looks like it," Marc replied after checking his Digivice one more time. Before the stood a small wood cottage, mostly burned to a point where only one wall was recognisable, the opposite of that burnt to ashes, and the two adjacent walls charred till there was very little left. The doorframe was hardly noticeable, and only a little bit of the upper half of the door remained intact, hanging on a hinge. The window on the intact wall was covered in black sot. The furniture inside wasn't spared any mercy, also burnt or toasted beyond existence.

"I'd like to vacation here," Tigramon joked dryly, stepping forward in the burnt mess. Xemon followed behind her, then the other two Digi-Destined. Marc hit the dangling door, the force knocking it off the hinge and crashing down to the floor. The other jumped at the racket, looking back quickly, then giving Marc sour looks.

"Oops..." he responded, stepping into the hut. The others shook their head, then went back to scanning the area for clues.

Shastina brushed away the soot from the window on the intact wall with her shirt sleeve, then looked out the window. Her eyes went wide.

"Hit the deck!" she screamed out, leaping away from the wall. On cue, the wall exploded outwards, chucks of wood and log flying out at Digi-Destined and Digimon alike.

* * * * * *

"Kinoumon...Warp Digivolve to...Matalefmon!"

The Mega level Digimon forced his entire weight against the falling wall, pushing it the other way. A brick slipped past the Digimon, nearly landing on his partner's foot.

"Oops," he responded, heaving once more and pushing the entire wall over. It crashed down against the grass, throwing up dirt, mud, and vegetation upon impact. The wall crumbled to pieces.

"Well, it's clear that didn't work," a minute, yet loud voice told them. To compound the problem, a massive invisible being rammed right into Matalefmon, knocking him down.

"Err...your turn to level up," Tiberius told his Digimon, raising his Digivice. Lepumon nodded.

"Lepumon...Warp Digivolve to...Avengemon!"

Just as quickly as he went up to the Mega level, he was knocked off his feet with the same invisible being that hit Matalefmon.

"This ain't cool," K.H. commented, looking back at his downed partner. "Alright, Matalefmon, let's take it up one more!"

* * * * * *

"Xemon..." "Tigramon..."

"Warp Digivolve to..."

"Hydramon!" "Kenokomon!"

Both Digimon got to work quickly. Hydramon blasted flying debris out of the way with one of his assorted elemental beams and using his body as a shield to protect his partner. Kenokomon was chopping through the lumber with her claws and elbow blades, making sure none of the flying hazards would hit her companion.

The dust from the explosion cleared eventually, revealing a rather large Minotaur, if they ever came any smaller that is. He had pale brown skin, and two menacing looking horns on his head. He slammed his first together, forgoing introductions and charging forward with intent to destroy something. Kenokomon caught the horns of the charging Digimon in her hands, but the speed of the attack forced her back a couple of inches, leeway needed for breaking.

"I think we're going to need some more help for this," Marc commented quickly, raising his Digivice. Hydramon was charged with energy as the Digivice glowed brightly.

* * * * * *

"Matalefmon...Infinity Digivolve to...Elusamon!"

And just as quickly as the Infinity Digimon formed, he was knocked over and smashed against one of the standing pillars, former standing pillars as the force of the blow knocked the Digimon and pillar down.

"Hahaha, you can't hit me," the invisible Digimon taunted, buzzing around some more.

"I'm suspecting a very small and speedy Infinity Digimon with a sizeable amount of power behind it..." Tiberius quickly hypothesised, turning to his Mega level Digimon. Avengemon was quickly knocked down again just as quickly as he got back up.

"How correct you are," the Digimon remarked, not bothering to introduce himself. "Kakonmon told me to beat you guys. I might be a little late now, but hey, I can make sure nothing disturbs him back in the past."

"Oh...no you don't..." Elusamon groaned, getting back up. Upon hearing that, the tiny Digimon just knocked him back down.

"Oh man, this isn't working..." K.H. muttered, stepping back. His foot fell onto a patch of dirt, that, upon contact, began to glow in a light sapphire colour.

* * * * * *

A swift horn through Kenokomon's chest forced her back and down on the ground with a cry of pain. In that split second, she changed back to her Rookie, unable to fight anymore with a wound that size. Knightdramon placed himself in between the Minotaur Digimon and himself, spear twirling.

"Not one more step, my giant like friend," Knightdramon told his opponent. Both Digimon charged forward, crashing in three seconds. The duel went to the Minotaur's favour, his horns lifting Knightdramon up and over backward before the dragon knight could jam his spear into the exposed skin.

"Well, that wasn't very cool..." Marc commented, glancing down at Shastina beside him. She was kneeling down, Tigramon cradled in her arms as she tended to the wounded Digimon. "Come on Knightdramon! You can do it!" Marc cheered as the Digimon slowly got up. Marc stepped forward, and upon contacting the dirt, it glowed with energy.

* * * * * *

K.H. stepped forward, then looked back down at the ground her stepped on. His Digivice reacted with the ground as the sapphire glow grew in intensity. With that glow was the same aura that surrounded Elusamon, and third aura taking hold of the Digivice. The first glowing dulled, flying into the Digivice, stopping that glow as well.

"You're mine!" the tiny Digimon shouted, dashing at Elusamon. The Digimon regarded the flying annoyance, and with insane speed that no one saw, caught the tiny powerhouse Digimon in his left claw. The tiny spec of a Digimon squirmed inside, hence the sudden jolts of movement from the closed claw. Elusamon decided to end it there.

"DEFORMATION BLAST!"

Crimson light escaped the temporary cracks in the claw as it imploded. The struggling stopped, and when Elusamon opened his claw, the other three thought they faintly saw black data flowing out.

"Oh, wait!" K.H. exclaimed, looking down at his Digivice. On the lower left hand part of the screen was a fragment of what he believed to be a Crest, more specifically, the Crest of Time. "One down, three more to go!" he shouted, showing off the Crest.

* * * * * *

Marc stepped back, wondering what was going on with the floor. Sapphire glow took his Digivice, then took his Digimon. The ground exploded afterwards, a blue beam crashing into his Digivice. Marc looked at the new item that occupied the upper right hand of his screen. The symbol was unrecognisable in the fragmented form it was in, but Marc had an idea of what it was.

"Alright Minotaur boy, round 2..." Knightdramon hissed, re-energised. The Minotaur grinned as his adversary, dashing forward again. Knightdramon followed the lead, spear twirling. The energy around intensified.

In the split second of collision, it didn't seem like anything happened. It just seemed like an exchange of blows. But when Knightdramon went from a crouched over position with spear raised back to standing up, and when the Minotaur Digimon began to fall into four pieces, Marc knew his partner won. The two slashes were so fast no one saw it, despite the weapon of choice being a spear where it was cumbersome to use at high speeds.

"If the Crest of Time powered up Knightdramon that much..." Marc thought, glancing down at the jigsaw piece like Crest on his Digivice. "I'd love and hate to see what the entire Crest can do..."

Fin

****

Completed: 05/24/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	51. Episode 51-Granting Wishes

Granting Wishes ****

Granting Wishes

By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

****

Disclaimer: All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_Two fragments found...only another two more to find out there on this cursed island._

I don't care how you do it Tao, but you're going to survive it back there with Kakonmon. You can't die on me yet, friend. We've known each other too long for you to die just like this.

Besides...there's someone here waiting for you, and I can't watch over her forever.

Come on friend...pull through one more time...for all of us. Just hang on until we get there.

~Diary of Marc 'Toe' Durron, fourth generation Digi-Destined

* * * * * *

"Analyses?" K.H. asked Tiberius, examining the fragmented Crest once more.

"That Crest your holding gave Elusamon the speed burst he needed to catch whatever the heck that Digimon was, and then promptly toast it," Tiberius answered.

"It was so strange...everything just started to move...slower..." Kinoumon tried to explain, though it wasn't really working. "I could see that blasted flea, and I knew where it was going to go...and then...my claw just reached out and grabbed him."

"It this fragmented Crest could do that..." Lepumon spoke softly. "The possibilities if we had the Crest as a whole..."

"Possibilities we'll never realise if we do nothing to search for the second fragment on this part of the island," Tiberius quickly interjected. "Come on, we have to move out. Harriermon's keeping our spot warm at where Tao and Kakonmon left, and without all four fragments, we won't be able to open a portal there."

* * * * * *

Harriermon paced back and forth on the clearing where Kakonmon and their group fought. The massive crater made from a Wake of Destruction was still there, and it was dark for as far as the eye could see. The Digimon wasn't disturbed by it, but he wished his friends would hurry up.

"I'm useless..." Harriermon muttered, leaning back and falling onto the ground. "Without Tao, I'm so useless...all I can do is guard this site...mark it so the others know where to open a portal..."

The avian Digimon sighed, closing his eyes and waiting patiently.

* * * * * *

"There..." Shastina whispered, using what spare bandages she had from Tao's wounds on the fall on her Digimon. The wound was cleaned and wrapped, and the Digimon was walking on the ground with ease, albeit the wound stung from time to time. "Feeling better?"

"Much," Tigramon told her partner happily, then faced Xemon. "Especially after watching Knightdramon make mince meat out of that Digimon." Xemon grinned slightly, looking away in embarrassment.

"I believe he takes it as a compliment," Marc responded for his Digimon, smiling. The group was in high spirits after the miraculous battle where Knightdramon promptly slashed that Minotaur to ribbons.

"Before we forget, I think we should report to the other team," Xemon reminded his partner, tugging on the pants of his partner.

"Good point," Marc responded, taking his Digivice from his pocket and flipping it opened. The two groups promised they'd tell each other of their findings if they found a fragment of the Crest. Instead of compelling an e-mail, he received an e-mail.

_We found one of the two Crest fragments over here. Had to beat some annoying flea for it, but, somehow,, Elusamon reduced that flee to ashes. We're suspecting K.H.'s fragmented Crest of Time was what powered up his Digimon to perform such a feat. Either way, one down, one to go. And you guys?_

~Tiberius 'GTK' Hartz

"Well, seems like they found one fragment, and we found another," Marc spoke out, hinting the contents of his e-mail. "If we keep up this work, we'll have the two other fragments, then we can find a way to use it to get back and help Tao out. Besides, I'm sure Harriermon is worried sick for his partner, as well as bored to heck with waiting."

"Two very good points," Shastina agreed, walking up beside the other Digi-Destined. "Write a reply and then we'll keep searching for this second fragment. The faster we do this, the better."

"Agreed," Marc spoke, beginning to type on his Digivice. The others rested and waited patiently.

* * * * * *

_Knightdramon also got pumped up when my Digivice was exposed to the fragmented Crest of Time. He pretty much sliced up a Digimon into four pieces with that spear of this...but with a spear!? That's got to be fast...no one saw it..._

Anyway, getting back on topic, yes, we did find a fragment, if you haven't noticed yet. We're working on finding the second one for Shastina. Hope Harriermon is doing fine while we're gone. I sort of forgot about him since we were so concerned about searching. I really hope he's doing okay...I don't like leaving him alone with those Infinity Digimon out there, but he wouldn't be able to help much without Tao to assist.

Oh well...enough chat. Time to keep searching.

~Marc 'Toe' Durron

Tiberius shut his Digivice, not bothering to write back until after they found the second fragment of the Crest. He told his companions of the e-mail as they continued to walk around.

"Two down, two more to go," K.H. remarked, holding his Digivice tightly just in case it went off again at the sign of another Crest fragment.

"I sure hope Harriermon is okay," Lepumon commented, remembering that they left Harriermon behind. They got so caught up in the search they almost forgot about the avian Digimon.

"He'll be fine," Kinoumon answered, walking up beside the bunny Digimon. "Be more concerned about Tao and about that pumped up Devimon."

"Point well taken," Lepumon replied softly. "Then we better hope Tao can buy us enough time to help him out."

"He better," K.H. interrupted, the group beginning to walk off. "We're counting on him to do just that."

* * * * * *

"So, where to now?" Shastina asked, seeing that Marc closed his Digivice upon the completion of the e-mail.

"Just some more random walking and hope for a response from one of our Digivices?" Marc suggested, sort of half seriously, half jokingly.

"Well, that's what we did to get here," Xemon told his partner, motioning towards the now nearly completely annihilated cabin. "Why not do that again to find our next Crest?"

"I have to agree," Tigramon spoke up. "If random walking got your Digivice to go off like that, why can't it do it again for your or Shastina's Digivice?"

"It seems like your joking attitude towards this matter was told off," Shastina commented, giggling lightly. Marc smiled back, turning towards the horizon.

"Alright then!" he exclaimed. "If we're going to walk around randomly, then let's get moving! Time is of the essence, and every second counts!" Everyone nodded in agreement, this time with a much more serious look.

* * * * * *

Tiberius glared at the sky for a few moments as the group walked straight ahead. The Digi-Destined knew his Digimon partner would warn him if anything would get in his path, and left it at that as he watched the sky.

"You can't see that shield..." he commented mentally, sighing then lowering his head. "We're trapped in here until we finish this...if we finish this..."

"Don't give up hope, Tibbs," Tiberius told himself, making sure no one else can hear him. "Not yet...there's still time...there's no way we're dying on this island without a fight...and one hell of a fight we can put up..."

The Digi-Destined sighed lightly, continuing the walk with the silent group. The serenity of the silence was shattered with the blaring alarm of the Digivice going off. Both Digi-Destined quickly grabbed hold of their Digivice, but it was Tiberius' item that held the location of the next energy signature.

"Where does it say?" K.H. quickly asked, a bit disappointed that it wasn't his Digivice that found the energy, but glad they found it, period.

"Like a ten minute walk east by south east," Tiberius responded after analysing the map. "Come on, we better move quickly...." His spirits rose quickly with the news as the Digi-Destined took the point, K.H. and the two Digimon following behind.

* * * * * *

The random walking paid off for the other group of Digi-Destined. After a few minutes, Shastina's Digivice blared away, nearly deafening everyone, though they didn't mind if they could get the Crest fragment they needed to complete their half of the mission.

"Just wish it wasn't so loud," Tigramon protested without really protesting at all. She wasn't really annoyed, and she wasn't really sure why she bothered commenting. She just slapped herself mentally for opening her big trap then leaped onto Shastina's shoulder to see where the Crest fragment was.

"Where is it?" Marc asked quickly, heading over as well to learn the location of the fragment.

"Err...north west," Shastina answered after analysing the map for a few seconds. "Not that far of a walk, should be there in a few minutes." With those words, Shastina lead the group off across the island.

* * * * * *

The brief ten-minute walk got the group of Digi-Destined in the direction of a semi-large lake. The Digivice that belonged to Tiberius pointed in this general vicinity around the lake, or, if by bad luck, in the lake itself.

"Then we better hope it's not in the lake itself," Kinoumon remarked in response to a possibility brought forth by Tiberius.

"Yeah," Lepumon agreed. "I hate to get my fur soaked just looking for that Crest."

"Keep your mind open," K.H. told the pair of Digimon. "Anything is possible, and if so, we'll have to explore every avenue of approach, even if it means tossing you into that lake, Lepumon." The Digimon shuddered at the thought, hoping against it.

"Get serious," Tiberius told the group. "Spread out and look for it...time is always of the essence." Just as told, the group did get serious, spreading out and covering as much of the designated area as possible.

* * * * * *

The group of Digi-Destined and Digimon halted at the entrance of a large rock formation that was well over eight feet tall. In the rock formation was an entrance that lead down into the ground, probably a small cavern inside. Shastina's Digivice pointed in that direction, and the guess of the group was that it was underground.

"Nine-to-ten odds its underground," Xemon told them, standing at the foot of the entrance.

"I'd never bet on that," Marc replied, stepping towards the entrance. "The pay off wouldn't be good."

"The pay off will be very good if the Crest is in there," Shastina reassessed, walking up beside Marc.

"Yeah," Tigramon agreed. "Money doesn't matter as long as we end up saving Digital History."

"Well, now that we agreed on something..." Marc muttered, taking the first step into the depths of the unknown.

* * * * * *

_Nothing, nada, zilch. If it's here...I don't see it...maybe it is in the water like we suspected..._

~K.H. 'Nobie' Lai

Tiberius glanced over the lake to where K.H. stood, the boy continuing the search around his side of the edge. Both Digi-Destined and their Digimon have yet to come up with an results, and it was looking more and more like the Crest was in the lake then anything else.

"I take it no luck," Lepumon inferred from the look of disappointment on his partner's face. Their was no need for an answer. Lepumon sighed, stepping closer to the edge. "Hey, what's that...?'

"Huh?" Tiberius responded, stepping over to the edge as well. He looked across, K.H. doing the same thing, Kinoumon on his partner's shoulder. At the centre of the lake was some bubbling. In fact, there were two areas bubbling, side-by-side...

* * * * * *

The light of many torches against the walls illuminated the path down into the large cavern. Torches surrounded the chamber at all angles.

"Why does it seems like all large cave like chambers we go to have rows upon rows of torches?" Marc inquired, partially annoyed.

"Fate's dry sense of humour?" Shastina replied, not expecting a response as the group headed deeper into the cavern.

"If so, it's very dry..." Tigramon remarked, taking the lead in front of her partner.

"Agreed..." Xemon spoke up, taking rear guard. The two Digimon were paranoid of anything that could possibly happen in the large cavern.

"Hey...what's that?" Shastina asked, gazing up at the rock patterns above. The gaze of all four were met with a pair of crimson eyes in the shadows.

* * * * * *

The water before the two groups exploded in a frenzy. After that, hell broke lose upon the party of Digi-Destined and Digimon. At that moment, both Digimon on the two sides Warp Digivolved to their Mega level, more then expecting a fight.

The water obviously fell back down quickly. In its place were the necks of two massive serpents, with sapphire scales and a mean looking dragon head. One head faced off with each Mega level Digimon around the lake.

"That's not cool at all..." K.H. told Matalefmon, stepping back slowly as the serpent towered over the pair.

_Twin Seremon: Serpent Digimon. A two headed Digimon, though at first glance, it can not be told since the body will most likely be under the water's surface. Main attack: Tidal Blast. Infinity Level Digimon._

"Oh man...it's big...in more then one aspect..." Tiberius muttered, loading up his Infinity Crest. "Time to fight Infinity with Infinity..."

K.H., from across the lake, noted what the other Digi-Destined was doing, and decided to follow the lead. If anything, K.H. knew Tiberius knew what they were dealing with. After all, he was the one with the Digimon analyser.

"Matalefmon...." "Avengemon..."

"Infinity Digivolve to..."

"Elusamon!" "Titanimon!"

Twin Seremon regarded the two deeply, as though he were waiting for a more worthy challenge. Satisfied, the two heads lashed out, one for each Digimon.

* * * * * *

The crimson eyes closed, the Digimon falling down and flapping in front of them. The Digimon resembled a DemiDevimon, however, instead of a normal leather mask, he wore a metal mask, and had six wings unlike the two from its predecessor. His eyes weren't crimson anymore.

"Kakonmon warned me of intruders in the near future..." the bat hissed softly, flapping wildly to keep in the air. "I'd never thought it'd be so soon..."

"Well, move it or lose it then," Marc threatened. Both Digi-Destined raised their Digivices, ready to fight. Their will to fight blanketed their over confidence to beat this bowling ball.

"Xemon..." "Tigramon..."

"Warp Digivolve to..."

"Hydramon!" "Kenokomon!"

Hydramon's heads nearly touched the ceiling of the cavern, though it didn't matter. The confined area gave the dragon Digimon the perfect opportunity to rain down fire.

"Haha," the Digimon laughed, blinking once, his eyes going crimson once more.

* * * * * *

"TIDAL BLAST!"

Both blasts of hydro energy ripped forward one for each Digimon that faced the two headed serpent. Titanimon raised his shield, the attack deflecting off, but had enough force to push him back a few inches in the air. Elusamon just leaped out the way, betting wet to the resulting explosion.

"DEFORMATION BLAST!"

Elusamon opened both his claws while still in the air. Twin orbs of super hot energy formed, then blasted forward at the head that attacked him. In response, Twin Seremon turned both his heads towards the leaping Digimon.

"TIDAL BLAST!"

Twin beams of hydro energy ripped forward from each head, disintegrating the orbs of heat energy and smashing into Elusamon. The resulting explosion of water knocked the Digimon back onto the ground, not out, but badly wounded.

"BLADE SIEGE!"

Dozens of titanium feathers soared through the sky, directed towards the two headed serpent. At the exact same time, energy charged into the shield on the flying Digimon's left arm.

"QUSAR BLADE!"

The energy sank into the right armament of the Digimon, blasting forward in a rippling wave of crimson energy. The attack caught up with the titanium feathers, both attacks smashing against the serpent heads simultaneously. The serpent roared in pain, reeling back. Titanimon rushed forward, both blades charging for the Ultimate Sword attack.

At the next moment, Titanimon found himself underwater, both heads of the serpent head butting the Digimon into the water. The Digimon cursed mentally, not expecting the serpent to recover so fast.

"Titanimon!" Tiberius shouted, rushing to the edge of the lake. He fell onto his knees and hands. He gazed into the water and reached in. At the touch of the water, that little section began to shimmer.

* * * * * *

"CRIMSON HELLFIRE!"

The flying bowling ball of a bat curled up into a ball. A split second later, a crimson aura surrounded him, and a split second after that, the aura blasted forward, engulfing everything close by. Hydramon's body was the thing that kept the two Digi-Destined safe from the attack. Kenokomon fell backwards, burned to the energy. Both Digimon felt incredible pain from that.

"Oh man!" Marc shouted, the attack dissipating. He loaded up his Infinity Crest, as did Shastina. The two exchanged nods, then raised their Digivices.

"Kenokomon..." "Hydramon..."

"Infinity Digivolve to..."

"Psychemon!" "Knightdramon!"

"Hehehe..." the bat Digimon laughed again, spreading his six wings outwards.

"DARKNESS GRASP!"

The wings of the Digimon turned black before releasing waves upon waves of dark energy rings upon the two Infinity Digimon. The two Digimon did their best to try to evade the rings, but the exponential values of six amounts of rings overcame them. The energy ring clamped on limbs on the Digimon, immobilising them and choking life out of them.

"Psychemon!" Shastina exclaimed. Her Digivice reacted, the Crest of Light appearing on the screen. On the ground in the centre of the cavern, a haze of blue energy formed. Psychemon was surrounded in an aura of sapphire and white energy alike.

* * * * * *

The fragmented Crest of Time splashed out of the water and into Tiberius' Digivice. The Digi-Destined gasped in surprise, falling on his behind with the impact. In the water under Twin Seremon's, a light blue glow pierced the water. An energy beam from Tiberius' Digivice skimmed over the water before diving down. The glow was then replaced with crimson glow, energy hot enough to start evaporating the water.

"ULTIMATE SWORD!"

Titanimon rocketed out of the water like a red hot torpedo, Twin Seremon crying in pain. The Digimon didn't seem to be hitting the serpent, but whatever Titanimon did underwater and after blasting out, it affected Twin Seremon....greatly.

The serpent heads stated to fall off, as did sections of the neck, until eventually the entire Digimon fell into pieces.

"That's the second fragment!" Titanimon shouted, flying down quickly. The Infinity Digimon cradled Tiberius in his arm, making sure not to cut his partner. "Quickly, I can feel it. Time is changing. We have to get moving, and fast!" With those words, Titanimon collected K.H. and the now changed Kinoumon, and then flew off at high speeds towards Harriermon's waiting location.

* * * * * *

White energy from Shastina's Digivice hit the haze of blue on the ground at the centre of the cavern. The two energies mixed, and the combined power of both hit Psychemon, blasting the binds on her into oblivion. The Digimon's eyes went wide, free and able. The flying bat Digimon blinked once, then flew back an inch.

That was as far as he got. In the next moment, Psychemon raced through the cavern and slammed her energy sabre into the Digimon.

"Ack..." the bowling ball coughed out, taken completely off guard by the sudden power that surrounded Psychemon. He disintegrated, breaking the binds of Knightdramon. Unable to hold his level anymore, Knightdramon returned to Xemon. Psychemon, however, remained in her Infinity, looking about quickly. The blue haze revealed the fragmented Crest of Time, and it took the liking of Shastina's Digivice.

"All right, let's get back to Harriermon!" Shastina exclaimed, pocketing the Digivice. Psychemon nodded.

"And hurry...time is altering...I can feel it..." the Infinity remarked, taking Shastina, Marc, and Xemon in her arms. "The Crest of Time empowers me, I will take us back." At insane like speed, she blasted out of the underground and ran right across the surface.

Fin

****

Completed: 06/03/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	52. Episode 52-Endless Assault

Endless Assault

**Endless Assault**

**By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung**

[Theoleung@sprint.ca][1]

**Disclaimer:** All Digimon and their characters (except for those introduced in this fic/series) do NOT belong to me. I do not have permission to use their characters, but it's a FanFic, so, who cares? =) This story line belongs to me and me alone. Please ask for permission if you wish to use it. Thanks. Now let's get onto reading!

_Does it all come down to this? Is everything going to end like this?_

_My heart still cries for the blood of that monster...my blade is thirsty for him..._

_I know I can't stop him...but I have to try...try something. I just hope the others can come through for me...I need all the help I can get._

_~Diary of Tao 'Blitz' Lee, the Lost Destined_

* * * * * *

"So...there's no way I'm going to stop Kakonmon alone..." Tao muttered to himself, kneeling down, sword thrusted into the ground in front of him. "He's going to find T.K. and kill him, and the only thing I can do is stall."

"Stall for what? Reinforcements? Through time? I don't see how...but...."

"No way...I can't give up yet...not unless I try...besides...I'm never afraid to die...always wanted to anyway..."

"Do I? I have nothing to go back to..."

"No...I do have something to go back to...and have her...and if I go...she'll be disappointed...disappointed is not the right word...she'll be suicidal...I can't let her down...never..."

A snapping of a twig behind Tao alerted the teen. Tao's eyes went wide, grabbing his sword and turning around, pointing in the direction of the sound, the blade surrounded in an emerald glow.

"Wha?!" the boy leaped back in surprise, in his green sweater and large green hat. The Patamon on his head leaped up and started floating above, ready to Boom Bubble.

"T.K.?!" Tao exclaimed, quickly lowering his sword. The young Digi-Destined was significantly smaller then him, and Tao surprised himself from recognising the blonde hair boy. "Guess Patamon was the key clue..." Tao thought, keeping an eye on the flying Patamon.

"H-How do you know my name...?" the young T.K. asked, shaking in his boots upon the look of the blade pointed at his face. Tao's face faulted, regretting his sudden action against the young boy.

"Just say I'm a friend," Tao responded, standing up and looking down at the boy. "The face is the same," Tao thought, examining the younger T.K.. "But he sure looks...taller in my time frame..."

"What the hell am I thinking? Of course he does...it's like six or seven years later...of course he'll look taller."

"Err...it's the first time I've seen another person in this world aside from the other six," T.K. replied innocently, still a bit afraid. "Were you taken from camp as well?" Tao grinned lightly, placing a hand on the young boy's head.

"You could say that," Tao answered, kneeling back down again. "I take it you got separated from your friends..." Tao observed, glancing around. There was a waterfall nearby, as well as much forestry around.

"Yeah...I sure hope they're all right," T.K. commented, becoming more comfortable with the presence of the older boy.

"I'm sure they are," Tao responded, forcing a smile. "I just hope I can protect you from Kakonmon..." the future Digi-Destined added under his breath.

"Hey, I don't know you're name," T.K. spoke, realising that fact. "I don't want to end up calling you Mr. Swordsman..."

"Just call me Blitz..." Tao responded, looking away. "Got to try to alter as little timeline as possible..." he thought.

"Geeze...is that a nickname or something?" T.K. inquired, looking up. Patamon landed back on the hat, also not sensing any danger from the newcomer.

"Yep, just a nickname..." Tao replied softly, glancing back down at the boy. "He's really innocent..." Tao thought. "Even if I have a sword in my possession, he seems comfortable with me...maybe innocent isn't the right word...gullible..."

Tao's gaze went towards the nearby forestry, a presence of evil clicking into his recently discovered sixth-sense, and only one Digimon could make that sixth-sense snap like that.

"Kakonmon…"Tao muttered, tightening the grip on his sword.

"Blitz?" T.K. asked, stepping closer to the future Digi-Destined. Tao turned to face the young boy.

"Listen, T.K., there's going to be big trouble here…and it's coming fast…" Tao explained, trying to not give away any details. "I need you to get away from here as fast as possible..."

"But…" T.K. was about to protest, not wanting to lose another friend anymore.

"Trust me…please…" Tao pleaded. "A Digimon out there wants you dead…and he's coming this way…and fast…"

"Is it Devimon?!" T.K. asked, fearful of a responses.

"Just a friend of his," Tao answered, standing up and turning towards the forest. "Patamon…take care of T.K. and get out of here…I'm going to be holding this mad Digimon off for as much as possible." Patamon stared at the sword-user for a moment, but upon seeing the determination in his voice and eyes, Patamon nodded, flapping into the air and tugging on T.K.'s shirt.

"Come on T.K." Patamon told his partner, the boy moving only slightly.

"But…" T.K. repeated, still refusing to move.

"Go T.K.!" Tao ordered. "Find Matt and the others! Beat Devimon! If not, then peace will never come to the island…" T.K.'s visage of lose soon turned into courage and hope. HE regarded Tao for one last moment, then nodded.

"Alright…just stay safe Blitz, even if that's not your name," T.K. told the future Digi-Destined, filled with hope and heading off, Patamon tailing behind.

"Well, that's one less problem to worry about…now to hold off Kakonmon for as much as possible..." Tao thought, gripping his weapon tightly. "At least I know T.K. will be safe as long as I live…however long that is…"

With those final thoughts, Tao rushed into the forest, weapon raised and ready.

* * * * * *

Titanimon and Psychemon ended up at the rendezvous location at the same time, both coming a complete stop and dropping off their passengers before changing back to their Rookies.

"Alright, we're all here and we have all the fragments," K.H. shouted out, assembling the group into a circle. "What do we do?" There was silence, then eyes fell onto the Digi-Destined known as Tiberius, expecting an explanation.

"Well, since there hasn't been an automatic reaction yet…let's just load up each Crest fragment into our Digivice and then place them close together." The others did as they were told, and held the Digivices close to each other. Still, no reaction from the Crest fragments.

"Idea number 2?" Marc asked, getting worried now. If they couldn't find a solution soon…all their work would be in vain… There was an ominous silence before Tiberius answered the question.

"Pray…"

* * * * * *

Tao leaped up and slashed down at Kakonmon, hoping to get another hit into the Digimon like before in surprise, but the attempt completely failed. Kakonmon's right claw was up and blocking the attack.

"Not like in the time warp, my boy," Kakonmon grunted, the wound in his back healed over time. "That wound when we were sent back hurt though…my concentration as broken, and I didn't land in the time frame I would've preferred."

"Too bad for you," Tao responded bitterly and sarcastically, stepping back from the larger Digimon before him.

"Yes, too bad, but it's only a minor setback…" Kakonmon agreed, not concerned with the change in plan. "But first…I must take care of you…being the main pest of my plans all so long…"

"Well, not my fault you couldn't mould me into the image of yourself," Tao continued to speak in the same bitter and sarcastic tone.

"Yes…what pity," Kakonmon agreed again, entering a fighting pose. "Well…enough talk…time to end your miserable existence, bearer of Light and Darkness."

"Go ahead, try it," Tao dared, entering his own fighting pose. Kakonmon 'grinned' under that helmet of his, rushing forward.

* * * * * *

"What do you mean 'pray'?!" Harriermon exclaimed, hovering in front of Tiberius' face. "There's got to be something!" Tiberius stepped back in surprise, the avian Digimon's outbreak catching him off guard.

"I mean it…" Tiberius responded calmly, seeing the pain in the lost Digi-Destined's partner. "If that didn't work…then…well…we're stuck…" Harriermon sighed, falling onto the ground with a thud.

"Wait…" Shastina spoke sharply, getting everyone's attention. "I…I can feel his spirit…"

* * * * * *

Tao fell back out of the forest, tossing a Sonic Sword behind him. Kakonmon pursued, deflecting the Sonic Sword attack with no difficulty.

"Give up now and make it easy for yourself!" the Digimon roared out, annoyed he hasn't destroyed the Digi-Destined yet.

"I never liked easy!" Tao shouted back, skidding to halt, then rushing at Kakonmon again. The Digi-Destined's pattern was becoming predictable, a mix of offence-and-defence, or better known as 'hit-and-run'. Tao slashed high, blocked by Kakonmon's left claw. The angle of the attack exposed Tao's left side, and taking the initiative, Kakonmon thrust his claw out, forcing Tao to block and drop his guard even more. A third blow with Kakonmon's left axe-side-arm was blocked once more by the Digi-Destined's weapon, but Tao's form was so unbalanced that the force of the blow sent him flying backwards.

"Damn.." Tao muttered, falling flat on his face. The Digi-Destined quickly got back up, clutching the weapon in his hand tightly. He wouldn't die yet…definitely not yet…

"Come on, Shas, Marc, Tibbs, K.H., help me out here…" Tao muttered softly.

* * * * * *

The Crest fragments glowed lightly, the reality around the Digi-Destined and Digimon rippling away from existence. The four Digivices connected in a blast of sapphire beams, creating an arena. Within the boundaries stood Tao, faint in form and showing he didn't really exist, but just an image. He was sweating and panting, tired from battle unknown to the other four Digi-Destined.

"Tao!" both Harriermon and Shastina shouted out. Harriermon flew at his partner, but ended up flying right through the image of the Digi-Destined and crashing into the ground in surprise.

"Oow…" the Digimon moaned, looking up at the image.

"It's only an image…" Tiberius informed the Digimon, staring at the figure of Tao as well. "And it looks like he's about beat… We need a solution…and we need it fast…"

* * * * * *

Kakonmon slashed once more with his claw, evaded by Tao, albeit in a sloppy fashion due to the Digi-Destined's weakened state. The Human could hardly defend himself, let alone strike back.

"Why don't you just die like a good Digi-Destined?" Kakonmon asked, seeing the end of this battle soon, and it was the Devil's attempt to taunt the boy.

"Dying...it's a nice thought...but I won't die until you're dead!" Tao shouted out, getting back up with renewed vigour. In the next moment, his Digivice flared with energy. The Infinity Crest he had possession of blinked on the Digivice's screen his other four Crests surrounding it.

* * * * * *

The beams of light that connected each Digivice suddenly died, though the image of Tao remained with them. In replacement, the Infinity Crest of each Digivice was revealed, surrounded by the other four Crests within. The image of Tao gripped his Digivice tightly, and the five Digi-Destined tried to figure what was going on.

* * * * * *

Tao gazed down at his Digivice, recognising the five Crests, then closed his eyes. The Digi-Destined could sense out his friends and comrades through ripples in time, and seeing them in his mind brought him confidence.

"You're going down!" Tao screamed out to Kakonmon, raising his Digivice.

* * * * * *

The four Digivices that held the Crest of Time burst to life now, energy blossoming from each device. The five Crests swirled on the screen, then a multi-coloured beam lashed out and hit each Digimon aside form Harriermon. Cries echoed across the clearing.

"Xemon..." "Tigramon..." "Lepumon..." "Kinoumon..."

"Infinity Warp Digivolve to..."

"Knightdramon!" "Psychemon!" "Titanimon!" "Elusamon!"

"What the...?!" K.H. exclaimed, just wondering if Tiberius' theory behind Warp Digivolving to the Infinity was true or not. More questionably was _why _the Digimon warped up like they did. Tiberius checked his Digivice, then came up with a reason.

"Our Crests are gone...they must've drained all their energy to preserve the life of our Digimon in the Warp Digivolve..."

"But..." Marc started, glancing at Tao with his raised Digivice. Marc never had time to finish, as each Digivice fired off another beam of energy, this time in light sapphire colour.

_Unleashing Time, the power of all will complete this shattered power, and, when the power is restored, will the seal be created once more._

__Each Crest of Time fragment hit Tao's Digivice, or the image of the Digivice. Either way, the Crest ripped through time to hit its destination. Tao's Digivice shined with energy, lots of energy, then that energy was transferred into another beam, and that beam hit Harriermon directly. The Digimon phased from existence.

* * * * * *

Tao wasn't sure what happened. All he recalled was massive amounts of energy entering his Digivice, then leaving it just as quickly. Then, at the next moment, Harriermon was before him, glowing in sapphire energy, before the transparent glow became solid.

"Harriermon...Infinity Warp Digivolve to..."

The orb formed into a humanoid figure, spreading arms and legs out. It was a silhouette of a humanoid figure in there, and soon armour plating was covering it. Chrome coloured armour layered onto the new Digimon, full body armour of protection. A black visor was on the helmet of the suit, then the sapphire orb of energy shrunk into a small rocket pack that attached to the Digimon's back. In the same colour of energy, a two-handed board sword formed in his hand.

"Jikokumon!"

Jikokumon hovered over the ground in front of Tao, in between the Digi-Destined and the Digimon they had to destroy.

"If two Infinity Digimon can't beat me, what makes you so sure one Infinity can?" Kakonmon mocked, stepping forward, unafraid of the new Digimon before him.

"You don't know," Jikokumon responded. The two Digimon faced off, watching each other closely behind the helmets each wore.

"WAKE OF DESTRUCTION!"

The ground ripped open from under Jikokumon, hot energy blasting out like a volcano. Just as quickly, the chrome armoured Digimon was out of the path of the attack. The aerial Digimon was up in the air, then diving back down at the Devil.

"NEXUS SHATTER!"

Kakonmon fired both his claws at the diving Digimon, then leaped away. Jikokumon rolled out of the way, and followed the path of the Devil Digimon, sword raised and ready to thrust through the Devil.

The weapon hit ground as the Devil Digimon took to the air, staring down at the Digimon below.

"WAKE OF DESTRUCTION!"

The group Jikokumon stood on ripped apart, and the second later, was covered with a massive heat ray from the core of the world. In the next instant, nothing was there.

"It's all over," Kakonmon spoke, gazing down at the Digi-Destined still standing in the open.

"Never say it's over until it really is!" Jikokumon shouted from above. Kakonmon quickly looked up, seeing the diving armoured Digimon again, this time with slightly toasted armour.

Kakonmon had no time to evade, the blade slashing into shoulder and throwing back onto the ground, on his knees.

"STASIS LOCK!"

Sapphire tendrils of energy wrapped around Kakonmon, then locked him in place, and in his temporally stunned state, he had no chance to break free from the binds. Jikokumon then dived down again, touching off the ground then rushing forward in the direction of the frozen Kakonmon.

"ENDLESS ASSAULT!"

The two Digimon were only an inch apart when time just stopped. Tao watched in amazement, Jikokumon's blade enpowered with Time energy. For a full minute, nothing moved, and Tao was wondering what was going on. Then he noticed the glow on the blade intensified nearly ten fold in that one minute. In the next second, time moved again, and Jikokumon slashed once against Kakonmon.

* * * * * *

One slash was multiplied by a hundred when the Time powered blade struck the Devil Digimon. In that moment, the Digi-Destined, the armour Digimon, and the Devil Digimon blasted back into the present time, scaring the heck out of everyone. Kakonmon flew through the air, Jikokumon passing by him, then changing back into the Rookie known as Harriermon, exhausting all his energy in that final attack. The avian Digimon looked up at the falling Devil, then at the other four Infinity Digimon.

"Do it now! Hit him while he's weak!" Harriermon shouted out, snapping all the other four Digi-Destined and Digimon out of their trance.

"COLD FURY!" "SERPENT LANCE!" "DEFORMATION BLAST!" "QUASAR BLADE!"

Ice shards surrounded the energy serpent, which was propelled forward by a combination of a crimson orb and volcanically hot beam. The resulting torpedo like blast hitting the falling Kakonmon like a nuclear bomb, and when he was an inch from hitting the ground.

Energy blasted outwards in a brilliant display of fireworks from four Infinity level Digimon. All Digimon and Digi-Destined were forced to cover their eyes from the blinding light, and they were singed by the amount of heat that was released.

Another full minute passed in this confrontation before the light finally subsided, and the Digimon and Digi-Destined alike were able to reveal their eyes once more.

Standing in a circle were the five Digi-Destined. In the circle as well were the Rookie level Digimon of each partner. No where was there a single sign of the Digimon known as Kakonmon.

Fin

**Completed: **06/11/01

   [1]: mailto:Theoleung@sprint.ca



	53. Epilogue

Epilogue ****

Epilogue

Tiberius blinked once, sitting with his knees pulled up to his chest, Digivice in hand. Lepumon sat beside him, kicking his legs lazily. The Digimon was trying to act less serious, but their time together has come to an end.

"The Crests are shattered...none of our Digivices are carrying Crests anymore...so..." Tiberius spoke, stating facts once more.

"Guess that's one of the many signs saying our journey is over..." Lepumon continued, sighing.

"One of the many..." Tiberius repeated. "Time is now synchronized with the Real World again...the Infinity Digimon threat has been neutralized...and by the looks of it, the Digivices only have enough juice for one more gate before not having any power left."

"Tiberius...let's not go like this...all this technical talk that you always like..." Lepumon interrupted. "Let's just say it straight..." Tiberius looked down at his Digimon, blinked once more, then lifted the Digimon up and hugged him tightly. A tear fell down his cheek.

"Lepumon...I'll always cherish the time we had together..." Tiberius told his Digimon partner.

"As will I..." Lepumon responded, holding the Digi-Destined tightly.

* * * * * *

Sora and Tao stood side by side, watching their Digimon chat with each other. The recent explosion signaled the end of the use of the Digi-Destined, and in turn transported the Digi-Destined with Digimon in the Real World to the Digital World. 

The talking between Digimon only masked the sadness of the moment, even with all the cheerful moments they had.

"Guess...this is goodbye..." Tao spoke softly. Only Sora heard the boy spoke.

"It's never easy...but we all move on...there will be a time when they'll return..." Sora told the younger Digi-Destined. Harriermon and Biyomon stopped chatting, then headed over to their partners. Harriermon had a sad look in his eyes.

"Goodbye..." Harriermon forced out after a few minutes. That one word was even choked back. Tao sniffed lightly, placing a hand on the Digimon's head. The Digi-Destined nodded solemnly, then faced Biyomon.

"Take care of him...okay...?" Tao asked of the old Digimon. The petite pink bird gaze her affirmative.

"And you better take care of her for me," Sora told Harriermon. He gave her an affirmative. With no more words said, Human and Digimon separated, the two avian Digimon taking off.

"It's never easy..." Tao whispered, repeating what Sora told him.

* * * * * *

Mimi and Michael regarded the fourth generation Digi-Destined and his Digimon. Both already said goodbye to their partners, but they group waited for the third in their party to finish.

K.H. stood still on the edge of the lake. Kinoumon sat on his shoulder, and the two stood in silence for so long.

"So..." both spoke at the same time, cutting each other off upon hearing the other's voice.

"You first," they told each other at the same time again, getting sort giggled and chuckled from them.

"Alright, go," K.H. told his Digimon partner forcefully, but not angrily.

"I don't know..." Kinoumon finally admitted after a moment of silence. "It was just so awkward in the silence, and I just needed to say something...before we go..."

"You know...I was thinking the same thing..." K.H. admitted, looking towards the lake again. "Let's just say it...alright?"

"Goodbye..." both voices spoke at once.

* * * * * *

Shastina held Tigramon close to her chest for a long moment. She watched the pair of T.K. and Kari say goodbye to their Digimon from a distance.

"They had experience...we don't..." Shastina spoke, trying to calm the situation.

"We all have to start somewhere..." Tigramon replied, looking up at her partner. "And we should start now..."

"Yeah...I guess we should..." Shastina answered, letting the Digimon go. Tigramon leaped down, then stared at each other for a moment. They said nothing else, and Tigramon ran off, not wanting to say anything, as did her partner. Tigramon joined Gatomon and Patamon in the distance, as did Shastina join T.K. and Kari. Gatomon regarded Tigramon, then gave a thumbs up sign to Shastina.

"Please treat her well!" Shastina shouted to the leaving triplet.

"They're like sisters...don't worry..." Kari told Shastina, placing a hand on her shoulder. Shastina touched Kari's hand lightly, looking away and trying to hold back the tears.

* * * * * *

Yasmine and Botanimon watched Marc and Xemon silently. The first generation Digi-Destined already said farewell to her Digimon partner, and now waited for Marc to do the same.

"So...this is it then, pal..." Marc told Xemon. The dragon didn't respond at all, but Marc knew the Digimon was thinking the same.

"Well...we'll see each other again...just like Kari...T.K....and all of them..." Marc spoke, trying to release pressure in the situation. Xemon looked away, then stepped forward and took Marc's hand in a tight handshake.

"We'll meet again...and this handshake is a promise," the Digimon told his partner. Marc blinked in surprise, then forced a smile and nodded.

"Of course."

* * * * * *

Tao had one last visit to go to before he rejoined his group at the meeting spot. The Digi-Destined stood at the border of the Gateway of Death, where he acquired his weapon in the first place.

"Well...looks like I fulfilled that destiny...Drowsmon..." Tao spoke to the air, lifting his right hand and twisting the blade around. The Digi-Destined admired the blade for a moment, then drove the weapon into the ground at the edge of the location.

"May you rest in peace now, Drowsmon..."

Tao turned around, then was startled by the appearance of Shastina before him.

"How'd I figure you would be here before we left?" Shastina asked softly, stepping closer to Tao, then hugging him lightly.

"I had to put a Digimon's soul to rest," Tao whispered into her ear.

"So I've seen..." the female Digi-Destined answered. "This is goodbye to each other as well..."

"Yep..." Tao told her. The two exchanged looks for a moment, then pressed their lips together, cherishing what little time they had left together. It was unknown when they'll meet again.

* * * * * *

The circle of Digi-Destined grew to its limit when Shastina and Tao joined the group. Handshakes and good-byes were exchanged by the Digi-Destined, knowing full when some of them won't see each other again for a long time.

"Gennai says all we have to do is raise our Digivices and let the energy take us back home," Tiberius informed everyone. "If you have any last words, say them now, or forever hold your peace."

No one made a peep, though Marc could see Shastina and Tao exchange eye contact one last time.

"Alright, until our destiny meet again," Tiberius spoke, raising his Digivice. The other Digi-Destined followed, the circle surrounded in a pillar of light. In the next moment, the Digital World knew of Digi-Destined no longer.

Fin

****

Starting Date of First Chapter: 11/01/00

****

Ending Date for Epilogue: 06/11/01

November 00 ~ July 01, seven months in the making

****

Thanks

__

The 03 Crew

****

Shastina L. Helmers

Yes, my true girlfriend in real life, and yes, we are separated with that kind of distance. I do wish to see her one day, and I thank her deeply for helping me out in this project by allowing me to base a character on her.

****

Tony Chu

Classmate and the character I based Marc Durron on. I'd like to thank him for the assistance he provided, and being one of the three people in school I can talk too about Digimon.

****

Nobie

Character portrayed on K.H.. Thanks for all the help you've given me. I hope your Pokémon series grows in popularity as you go through it.

****

GTK

GTK, I do really believe your first name is Tiberius. Heh. Thanks for all the support you've given me, and this five hour time difference doesn't keep good FanFic buddies apart. =) Hope you plan to get another 'Arcana' up soon.

__

FanFiction.net

****

WorldWalker Pure

For being one of the first active reviews for this fic. I know you don't review it anymore, but I'm not sure if you still read it. If you do still read it, thanks for all the early support you've given me.

****

Madfish

You review on and off, but it's good to know I have another fan from the Arcana that's not part of the main cast. Thanks for your on and off reviewing!

****

Grrl N

Like WorldWalker, thanks for being a good consistent reviewer in the beginning. I dunno where you disappeared to, but if you still read this, I thank you deeply.

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Supreme Dramon/Kevin

Same applies with Grrl N. Somehow, you both disappeared at the same time, so it made me wonder. Heh. Oh well. Thanks for your support in the early stages!

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Sandrilene Anastasia

I _know _you won't be able to read these chapters for a bit, as it seems like your computer has kicked the bucket, though I have no proof of that development yet. Anyway, please get back soon, as I await your feed back. =) And, of course, I await your e-mails ('specially for certain character info I'm looking for. ^^)

****

Alan Wilkinson

It was good to talk with you over e-mail. We had a nice exchange of ideas, and I'll have to consider many more options in my next Digimon project I intend to go for. Hope you stay with me till the end. =)

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I Am Canadian

So am I! Heh, thanks for your support all this time. I wish I'd stop forgetting to e-mail you about updates though. =( Oh well, it's over now...I'll update if I get anymore Digi fic projects out!

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Crystal Cat

You little hyper active kitty. =) Thanks for the reviews all throughout. I hope you computer stables soon...it's annoying to talk on AIM with a crashing comp like that, isn't it?

****

Ash

Yes, I know you're expecting me to finish my Series 3 Pokémon. Dun worry, I intend to finish that project before the summer vacation is over. Until then, peace.

****

GhettoSniper

Yep, it's finally over. And even if we haven't known each other for much, I thank you for your support on this fic, as well as my others around.

__

School

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Denning Chow

AKA, Maloncanth. Thanks for browsing through my series, even if you have your own 03 to write. Hope you get it done soon friend.

****

Howard 'True Blue' Chu

I really hope you finish reading through this series soon. I know you got your Power Rangers series to finish, and I hell know it's going to be longer then this Digimon series, so, when you get to this point, here's what I say: 'Good luck and go for it!'

**__**

And thanks to all other readers out there who have read my fic! I thank you all for taking the time to read this sort of fic, and even though it might not be the best out there, I know I satisfied a lot of you with this series!

~Theo 'Blitz' Leung, always looking for feedback

I don't own Digimon. I wish I did, and then I would bring this Series out world wide. But since I don't, it's just wishful dreaming. Oh well. G'night and g'bye everyone!


End file.
